Father Figure
by Shania Nowhere
Summary: Eileen returns for her 2nd year at Hogwarts, meeting new challenges and a teacher that has become strangely interested in her powers, to Snape's dislike. What are the new defense against the dark arts teacher's true intentions? Sequel to Pierce the Night.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Eileen arrived at the Hogwarts train platform just in time to hear the whistle blow its warning, telling her it was time to hurry. Quickly, she boarded the train and found nearly all the compartments full except for one containing the rowdy twins she met her first year at the magical school.

"Oi, Fred, it's our 'White Dove'! Come on in, we've got plenty of space!" George said cheerfully upon seeing Eileen peek into their booth. They had taken to using nicknames in the letters they had sent back and forth over the summer.

"So Dove, did you have a safe trip here?" Fred grinned as he took her trunk and with the help of his brother managed to heave it onto the rack over the seats. Tucking Mephistopheles basket into the overhead next to it, she said, "Quite safe, Mischief."

"Mischief?" Lee looked at them curiously and the boys laughed, George explaining, "We came up with code names so in case our letters got intercepted, no one would know who we were. Fred was Mischief and I was Mayhem."

"What suitable nicknames, the Chaos Twins!" Lee smirked at them as they sat on either side of Eileen with proud grins.

"Yep, and we called Eileen 'White Dove' cause she's been quite the little birdie with the gossip over the past year!" Fred winked as he hooked his arm around her neck playfully. They laughed and the train got under way, setting out for the long journey to Hogwarts.

The hours passed on as the Hogwarts Express plodded along down the old tracks, passing through empty countryside as students continued to chatter and laugh the time away. As they reached a rather scenic area by a lake, the sky outside got dark as if it were going to rain, the windows becoming foggy and cold to the touch.

Fred looked out the window and muttered, "Looks like we got pleasant skies waiting for us when we arrive at school, look at that weather."

"That sucks, oh well...we can sling mud at Malfoy on the way to the carriages." George snickered and the boys spirits rose again.

Standing, Eileen said, "I'm going to go change into my uniform, I'll be back."

"We'll keep the seat warm for ya!" The twins said in unison as she went out the door. Making her way down the hall, she joined the queue for the bathroom and watched patiently, listening to snatches of conversations here and there as students talked about school and their new classes. Finally, Eileen got her turn at the bathroom and changed quickly but before she could leave, the lights went out. Cautiously, she peeked out into the corridor but it was empty and startlingly cold, setting alarms off inside her head as she eased out and closed the door behind her. She tried to make for the cabin but a ghostly form further down the corridor stopped her in her tracks.

It was floating slowly along, another just like it journeying along behind it and peeking into random cabins most likely to the dismay of any within it. The black figure seemed to be sailing on an invisible breeze, the cloak it wore shrouding it in a disturbing darkness that set Goosebumps all over Eileen's body. She watched in terror as it turned its head in her direction, slowly gaining speed as it approached her and raising a gnarled hand menacingly. Drawing her wand, she shouted, "Go away!"

A burst of light radiated from her wand tip and seemed to push the figure back, causing it to tumble into the floor unceremoniously just as the other was knocked into the wall by another flash of light further down the corridor. Her opponent attempted another attack and she fought it off again with the light she was controlling, sending it retreating out an open window with its partner quickly following suit. Heart racing, Eileen kept her wand at the ready in case they decided to return, jumping slightly as the lights came back on.

Several heads peeked out of the cabins as an adult came walking in her direction, obviously having seen her defense against the creature as he bore a puzzled expression on his scared face.

"Were you attacked by that dementor?" The man asked in a soft yet firm tone.

Something about him unnerved her, yet she was oddly excited by his presence.

"It tried but I fought it off...was that what it was? I've only seen them in text books." Eileen explained, stowing her wand away in her robe.

"Yes. How old are you?" His blue eyes stood out behind his graying sandy hair, sharp as a knife and locking gazes with Eileen's own blue eyes.

"12 years old, sir." She answered simply. Blinking, he said in slight amazement, "You have a Patronus?"

"Yes, a kneazle, why? Oh right...I'm not suppose to know that charm yet. You must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I saw you attack the other dementor before the lights went back on."

"You're a very clever girl...I look forward to seeing you in class. If you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with the conductor of this train...oh, and have some chocolate, it'll make you feel better." He handed her a piece of chocolate before stepping past her and continuing down the corridor past several curious students.

Quickly munching on the chocolate, she headed back to her cabin and was greeted by worried friends.

"What happened? Are you okay? We thought it got you!" Fred exclaimed.

"We saw it going down the hallway then there was a flash of light and - " George rambled.

"It's okay, they're gone and I'm perfectly fine." Eileen assured them as she took her seat.

"They? Wait, there were more of...of...whatever that was?" Lee stared wide-eyed, rubbing the Goosebumps away.

"It was a dementor, dummy, remember? They guard Azkaban, those were probably looking for Black." Fred explained.

"Azkaban? Who's Black?" Eileen looked clueless and George exclaimed, "Blimey, haven't you heard? Azkaban is the wizard prison where criminals are locked away and driven mad by the dementors, most people die in there before their sentence is served."

"But one of the criminals escaped, a deadly man by the name of Sirius Black." Fred said in a hushed, dramatic voice.

"They say he's killed a dozen Muggles in cold blood and laughed about it! He's insane and it's rumored he's looking for someone at the school." George added to the suspense.

"Looking for someone? Who?" Eileen looked worried.

"Don't know, the Daily Prophets not keen on divulging that information." Fred shrugged, taking his seat next to her.

Pondering this new information, she settled in for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, her mind whirling with the prospects of the new year.

OoOoOoOo

The students flooded out of the train an hour later, eager to get away from the memory of the dementors and longing for the warmth of the welcome dinner. The first years followed Hagrid down to the lake as usual where they journeyed across to make their grand entrance, while the rest of the students climbed into the carriages.

Fred sat next to Eileen while George and Lee sat across from them, chattering happily.

"You know, I always wondered how they made these carriages move, do you suppose it's some kind of advanced magic? I can't wait to learn it so I can make stuff move around on its own!" Lee said, sounding excited.

"None of you have witnessed death, have you?" Eileen asked curiously and they stared back at her blankly.

"Um...no, why?" Fred asked in return, looking puzzled.

Staring out the window at the foggy night, Eileen muttered, "If you had, you'd know how the carriages moved."

"Really? That must be some spell if you have to see someone die to understand it. Hey, Fred, keel over!" George commanded.

Fred pretended to die and they looked around curiously, Lee finally saying, "Don't see any difference...so what is it? Can you see what's making it move?"

"Yes..." Eileen whispered and they fell silent, watching her closely as they approached the schools.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I see something deathly black and lurking around the grounds. Look, there's one now!" Fred said gravely, pointing out the window as everyone leaned over to see. Outside, spread out everywhere were dozens of dementors patrolling the area thoroughly and slowly.

Leaning back, Eileen scrunched down in her seat and muttered, "I don't like those things..."

"Who would, they make life miserable just with their presence. It's like being around Snape - " Lee started to say before the twins hissed at him, motioning to Eileen who seemed to have ignored his comment and was staring out the window solemnly at the moon above.

"It'll be a full moon soon." Eileen whispered, though none of them understood why as they rode on in silence.

Minutes later, they had come through the front gates and were disembarking, marching up to the castle in a river of black robes to enter the great hall and have a hot meal to bring their spirits up. Eileen sat with her house for once, just for opening ceremonies so she didn't start a rebellion right at the beginning of term. There weren't many students sorted into Slytherin and the ones that did looked quite malevolent, perfectly suited for her house in her opinion. But one particular new student caught her eye, he was rather tall for his age with shoulder length brown hair that hung in his eyes as he awaited his sorting.

The hat took a while to decide where to put him and he seemed to grow redder with every waking moment it took to come to its conclusion. Finally, it sorted him into Ravenclaw where he sat with his back to Eileen, right across from her. She stared at him for a while before the Ravenclaws noticed and began to whisper, catching his attention as he turned to see whom they were pointing at.

They met gazes and Eileen smiled kindly, saying, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Lucas."

"Th-thank you..." He smiled gently back before turning back to his own table and bowing his head, obviously embarrassed by her attention.

She gave him one last lingering glance before looking up at the table and seeing the shaggy professor she had met on the train.

He was watching her curiously, looking surprised by her friendliness toward the new boy and seeming intrigued by her.

But her attention was soon drawn to the man seated a few seats down from him, glaring viciously at him without any concern with being seen doing so. Blinking, she wondered why Snape looked so cross, perhaps they knew each other? After the opening speech and dinner, Eileen made her way out of the great hall and headed for the dungeons to get settled in.

"Excuse me, might I have a moment of your time?" She turned to see the sandy-haired teacher slowing to a quick canter after running to catch up to her.

"Of course, professor Lupin." Eileen responded, having learned his name during introductions.

"I have heard a lot about you from the teachers already, they say you're the best student in all their classes." Lupin smiled gently as they stood aside so as not to block traffic.

"I suppose, sir." She answered humbly, glancing around him to make sure Snape wasn't around to see her talking to him privately.

"I have also been told that the teachers give you advanced homework, is this true?" His eyes locked onto hers intently and she nodded, saying quietly, "I've already mastered everything up to 5th year, I'm fluent in 6th and 7th year work but haven't mastered everything yet. I excel mostly in your field of study, you may find it difficult to find anything I don't know yet."

"You have proved to be a skilled witch for your age already, but I'm sure I can find something that will challenge you in my classes. Perhaps you would consider joining advanced classes with the older students if you find 2nd year work boring?" He asked, glancing around as if expecting someone.

"Would the headmaster allow that?" Eileen looked captivated by his proposal.

"It is my duty as your teacher to teach at your level, is it not? You will still be in my class, just learning at your own level. I would have to give you a test beforehand to figure out what year you'd best be placed in, if it's not too much trouble."

"I would be delighted, thank you, sir." Eileen smiled happily, the prospect of being challenged during class extremely tempting to her.

"Getting acquainted with the students, Remus?" Out of nowhere, Snape floated over to them and glared at Lupin with the same loathing that he emitted during dinner except hidden behind his facade of formality.

"Ah, Severus, I hope the headmaster spoke to you about my request?" Lupin turned his attention to Snape suddenly as if he hadn't been talking to Eileen at all.

"Yes, I have been informed, I will oblige to your needs. Miss Pierce, it would be best if you turn in now, the password for the dormitory is masquerade." Snape glanced at her, his eyes telling her that he didn't want her to be around Lupin any longer.

She nodded and bowed to them both before heading toward the stairs, glancing back to see them staring menacingly at each other as if engaged in a staring contest. Entering the dorm, she headed straight to her new room and found Beth already inside getting settled in.

"Hello, Beth, how was your summer?" Eileen said coolly, still distracted by the thought of the two men most likely still battling it out visually.

"Oh, boring as usual, mother made me take an etiquette course so I can become a proper lady and attract a good husband. It's all rubbish if you ask me, she just didn't want to have to put up with me for 4 months." Beth said indignantly, shutting her trunk with more force than was necessary.

"Well, it's good that you had something to pass the time with..." Eileen reasoned as she let Mephistopheles out of his basket and opened her trunk to get changed.

"Why, what did you do over the break?" Beth looked like she couldn't believe anything could have been worse than balancing books on your head and sipping tea with your pinky out.

"Hide in an empty house with no one but Mephi to keep me company and the hopes of another letter from a friend to pass the time." Eileen responded dully.

"What about your parents? Oh...I'm sorry, I forgot." Beth remembered her telling her about her mother being dead and her father being absent, not aware that she was really hiding from her own father most of the summer. Eileen had also failed to mention the week that Snape had spent visiting her and placing a spell on her home that would hide her from anyone but him. This memory she would keep to herself and cherish fondly as the best days of her life.

"It wasn't terrible, at least I kept in contact with everyone. Though I have missed a lot in the wizarding world, apparently there's a criminal on the loose?" She said nonchalantly.

"Yes, how could you not hear about it? He's deadly and barking mad! I hear that he can kill you just by looking at you!" Beth said in a dramatic hiss, her eyes wild with fear.

"Is that so...I think I'd be more afraid of the dementors than Black, at least he's not attacking students at random for having some hope in their life." Eileen reasoned, pulling her nightgown over her head and crawling into bed where she whispered, "I think I might like to meet this Black character, he sounds like an interesting person to me."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Two

The first week of school was rather boring as far as Eileen was concerned; school went slow and she didn't look forward to much except her preliminary test with professor Lupin. She met with him almost a week after he first mentioned it and passed with flying colors so that they began to arrange a time when she would join one of his more advanced classes.

The following day, her morning sessions of Charms and Herbology were less than interesting, finding herself boredly going about the lessons without much effort on her part. After lunch, she set out for Transfiguration class where she slipped into the front of the room like usual. McGonagall strode over to her desk and said briskly, "Professor Lupin has requested that you join his class today, if you are not terribly put off by missing one of my classes, Miss Pierce." Eileen's eyes lit up and she said, "Really? I'll do homework to make up for it, professor!"

"Just go..." She waved her off and Eileen leapt from her chair, hurrying so as not to miss her first defense against the dark arts class. Coming to a stop outside the classroom, she found it empty and frowned in confusion.

"Did they reassign the room?" Eileen said to herself, wondering where they could have gone to as she turned around to explore.

Just then, Peeves came sailing down the hallway and nearly ran into her, giving her a disgusted look as he howled, "Out of the way, 1st year!"

"I'm a 2nd year...wait, Peeves, have you seen Professor Lupin?" Eileen caught up to him.

"Loony loopy Lupin? He's entertaining his class in the teachers lounge, ruining my plans for the afternoon! Bloody bugger..." Peeves grumbled before speeding off down the corridor and knocking over a suit of armor out of spite. Taking off at a canter, Eileen hurried to get to the teachers lounge before she missed too much of the class. Just as she rounded the corner, she ran into Snape stalking toward her and came to an abrupt stop.

"Sev-er, professor!" Eileen exclaimed awkwardly.

"What are you doing out of class? Aren't you suppose to be in Transfiguration right now?" Snape snarled, obviously having a bad day for some random reason.

"Professor Lupin requested that I join his class today, have you seen it?" Eileen asked curiously, the mere mention of the professors name irking him.

"His class?" Snape cocked an eyebrow, "It invaded the teachers' lounge, you'll find it three doors down the hall. I'd hurry if I were you, they'll be starting by now."

"Thank you, sir!" She darted around him and headed off down the hall, glancing over her shoulder as he fumed off around the corner and out of sight. What was bothering him? The question seemed to fade as she entered the crowded lounge and tried to see over the taller students heads to get a glimpse of what was being taught. Inching through the crowd, she saw the familiar red head of the youngest Weasley boy and headed straight to it, calling out over the chatter of the class, "Ron!"

"Eh? Eileen! What are you doing here?" Ron stared at her in surprise, looking unnerved about something.

"The professor asked me to join, what are we studying?" She beamed at Harry and Hermione as they turned and greeted her as well. Before they could tell her, Lupin spotted her white hair sticking out among the crowd and waded toward her.

"Ah, Miss Pierce, good to see you've found us! I'm terribly sorry about the change of location, I should have told McGonagall earlier..." Lupin said with a tinge of joy in his voice, obviously the class was going pretty well so far.

"It's quite alright, sir, I found my way. What is the subject today?" She smiled at him, eager to begin participating with the others.

"We're taking turns conquering our fears! Would you like to give it a try?" Lupin asked, motioning to the front of the class where a girl was turning a snake into a jack on the box.

Her eyes widening, she asked in a faint voice, "Is that a...boggart?"

"Why yes, it is. I see you know your magical creatures...do you know how to defeat one?" Lupin seemed oblivious to her panic attack for the moment.

She stared at it in shock, her heart racing as she dreaded what it would turn into, what would happen to her when it took the shape of her greatest fear. Shaking, she gasped, "I...I can't, not here, not with so many people...I'm sorry, professor!" Turning sharply, she ran from the room before he could reason with her.

"Blimey, she just got here! What's with her?" Ron asked, staring after her in surprise, "And I thought I was afraid of having a go at it!"

"Something's wrong..." Hermione whispered and the boys looked at her in confusion.

"Maybe she doesn't know how to fight a boggart?" Harry suggested.

"I highly doubt that, this is Eileen were talking about." Hermione hissed and the boys nodded.

Lupin had a look of great thought about him as he stared absentmindedly in the direction of the door, seeming to forget he was in the middle of teaching a class before snapping back to the lesson at hand and beckoning Harry forward.

"Miss Pierce, why are you out of class again?" Snape stared at her as she flung herself into his office, shutting the door quickly behind herself and leaning against it heavily.

"I...I can't...I won't..." She gasped, sliding to the floor and clutching at her head as she stared wide eyed at the wall.

Swiftly, Snape swept around his desk and knelt next to her, saying, "Eileen, what happened?"

"I'm not ready, I can't face it, not yet!" Eileen rambled in a wispy voice, lost in a trance.

"Not ready for what? Tell me what happened!" Snape demanded and she stared at him with terror in her eyes.

"My...my fears...I can't face them, Severus, I'll kill them all!" Eileen threw herself into his arms and stifled a scream in his robes, clenching her fists around them tightly.

Realizing what must have been on the agenda for today's class, Snape asked quietly, "Was it a boggart?"

She nodded, not wishing to leave the comfort of his body as he held her close, looking down with a furrowed brow.

"Did you express your concerns to the teacher?" Snape knew before he asked that she wasn't about to admit to a new teacher that she had the ability to brutally injure the entire class without even trying.

"No..." She was shaking as Snape sighed and said, "Calm down, nothing happened. I'm sure he wouldn't have forced you to participate if you didn't want to."

"You would have given me detention for being so stubborn." She replied.

Rolling his eyes, Snape muttered, "Well...he's not like me."

"Do you know him, Severus?" She looked up into his eyes as if pleading to be distracted from her own suffering.

"We went to school together, we...weren't friends." Snape added the last bit quickly.

"I guessed as much from the looks you kept giving him yesterday." She said, tucking her head into his chest again.

"And why, might I ask, were you watching me?" Snape cocked an eyebrow as he stared down at her.

"I might ask you the same thing, you caught professor Lupin staring at me, didn't you?" Eileen hid a smirk as he paused for a moment before responding.

"Well...he was staring for a long time." Snape tried to rationalize his actions, staring up at the ceiling in case Eileen chanced a glance at him.

"We met on the train, actually...he probably found me rather strange..."

"Did you? Why would he think you were strange?"

"I fought off a dementor, it tried to attack me." Eileen mumbled.

Snape pulled her back suddenly and stared at her with wide eyes, saying, "A dementor attacked you?"

"Yes..." Snape was about to inquire further when a knock came at his door. Quickly, he pulled her to her feet and hid her behind him as he opened the door to confront his guest. To his great surprise and disgust, it was professor Lupin.

"Ah, Severus, I was wondering if you - " Lupin started but Snape cut him off.

"I haven't finished your potion yet, I can't just whip it up in a fortnight." Snape said curtly, giving him a livid glare.

"Actually, that wasn't what I was going to ask." Lupin seemed to be trying desperately to remain composed as he spoke to Snape.

"Make it quick, I have things to do." Snape snarled.

"I was just wondering if you'd seen Miss Pierce at all, she left my class rather abruptly. I didn't get a chance to talk to her, she seemed upset by my lesson." Lupin frowned, a tone of concern in his gentle voice.

"Did she? And that would concern me how?" Snape tried to pretend like he had no feelings toward Eileen while hoping she wouldn't take it personally.

"Well...you are her head of house, I thought maybe - "

"You thought wrong. If that is all?" Snape once again cut him off and Lupin took a deep breath, gathering every last bit of patience he had to say, "If you see her, could you please tell her that I would like to discuss her future lessons when she's able to meet with me?"

"Are you unable to deliver your own messages?" Snape remarked, his lip curling slightly.

"I have the feeling she might not wish to see me right now..." Lupin said this statement slightly louder than was required and Eileen had a feeling he knew she was there.

"Tomorrow." Eileen said quickly and Snape went rigid.

Smiling, Lupin said, "Tomorrow it is then."

He walked away and Snape shut the door, leaning against it with one hand as he hissed, "Did you have to speak?"

"He knew I was here." Eileen said innocently.

"Well yeah, you kind of killed the mystery when you spoke." Snape said sarcastically, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye.

"It's...it's okay, you don't have to protect me from him. He seems like a nice man..." Eileen rubbed her arm nervously.

Turning sharply, Snape glared at her and hissed, "You don't know him like I do, Eileen. Everyone hides things, don't let his kindness deceive you."

Eileen watched him in confusion as he stepped around her and returned to his desk, shuffling papers violently in an attempt to distract himself.

"I'll...I'll be going then." She said in a mousy whisper, turning and clutching the doorknob quickly.

"Eileen, wait." Snape said in an exasperated voice, leaning on the desk in defeat. She didn't move as he said, "I'm...sorry, I just don't trust him and you shouldn't either. I advise you not to be around him in private, he's up to something and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be careful." She felt a content warmth from his concern fill her and smiled, "Good day, sir."

"Good day, Eileen." Snape sighed, easing into his chair and looking quite put off by Lupin's visit as he looked over his paperwork more gingerly.

Slipping out the door, Eileen looked up and down the hallway to make sure Lupin wasn't waiting for her before hurrying off to her final class.

OoOoOoOo

Her history class was dull as usual and she used the time to study various lessons for the following day, looking over her defense against the dark arts book most closely. When the bell rang, she gathered her books up and set out for dinner where she joined the twins at their table with a heavy sigh.

"Alright, Dove? We heard you freaked out in D.A.D.A. today." Fred said as he munched on his dinner.

"News travels fast..." Eileen looked annoyed and glanced in the direction of the trio that witnessed her behavior.

"Ron told us." George added.

"Lovely..." Eileen threw Ron a dirty look before stabbing a hunk of chicken and carving it viciously into eatable pieces.

"I bet Ron's glad he's not that chicken...what's wrong?" Fred looked concerned and Eileen sighed, saying, "It's...nothing."

"You're just afraid of a boggart then? Did you have a nasty run in with one when you were younger?" George asked, leaning over the table to look at her.

"No, it's not that." She was reluctant to share her deepest fears with them in such a casual situation, stuffing a piece of chicken into her mouth so she couldn't speak.

"Blimey, it can't be that bad, can it? Your fear? Ron's deathly afraid of spiders but he managed to defeat that boggart!" Fred said, giving his brother a thumbs up.

"Some fears aren't as simple as that, Mischief..." Eileen whispered, looking glumly at her meal as she lost her appetite.

The twins exchanged worried looks and watched her slowly poke the remaining piece of chicken with her fork.

Finally, she gave up and stood, saying, "I'm turning in, goodnight."

"G'night, Dove!" The twins said in unison as they waved to her retreating form.

Little did she know she was being watched as she left the room, and soon followed. Halfway down the stairs into the dungeon, she stopped and whirled around to see Lupin leaning around the corner and staring at her, his mouth open as if he were about to call to her.

"Ah, it seems I'm not as quiet as I used to be. When would you like to meet tomorrow, Miss Pierce?" Lupin tried to sound cheerful but she could tell he was making an effort at it as she replied coolly, "You're the teacher, I should think your schedule would be more demanding."

"Excellent point...how about after lunch, if you're not too busy to swing by my office?" He asked kindly.

"I'll meet you in the courtyard, sir." She said, her eyes meeting his in a heated stare, seeming to unsettle him slightly. She turned to go when Lupin stepped into full view and called, "Miss Pierce, is there a problem with my office?"

"Yes, there are no witnesses." She said over her shoulder before continuing on unhalted.

Lupin stared after her for a moment, a little surprised by her statement and wondering what Snape had told her about him. Resigning to figure this out later, he strolled off to his quarters for the night, pondering their meeting.

OoOoOoOo

It was a sunny and cloudless day, many students were roaming the courtyard to the great pleasure of Eileen as she waited on a bench beneath a tall oak tree, not wishing to get too close to the sunlight. A few moments into her wait, Lupin came strolling out into the open, looking around curiously in a timid manner as he avoided the students that ran past him. Eileen watched him for a moment until he spotted her, readjusting herself to sit taller as he approached.

"It's a fine day, would you like to take a stroll while we talk?" Lupin offered generously.

"The sun and I don't get along very well, as you might have guessed."

He noted her porcelain skin and nodded, saying, "Ah, I see. The bench it is then..." Taking a seat next to her, he crossed his legs loosely and reclined against the backrest, looking out thoughtfully at the students chatting and horsing around playfully.

"I have precious little time to speak to you, sir, I would advise you to say your piece before time gets away from us." Eileen stated monotonously.

He continued to watch the other children socializing as he said wistfully, "Look at them, I always admired how a child could innocently make friends and then lose them without too much thought on the subject. They don't know how blessed they are to be able to run around without a care, to fraternize with each other in complete ecstasy and glee, not a care in the world except their next school paper or test. Nothing to worry about..."

Eileen was listening intently to his musing, trying to figure him out while feeling a kindred sorrow in his voice that touched quite a few bases with her own feelings.

"You seem to do well with others, you know the Weasley children rather intimately." He commented reservedly.

"They are my only real friends." She admitted.

"I gather you're not fond of your house, considering you've only sat with them once."

"They loathe me, I defeated the Malfoy child in my first year."

"You defeated him? How so?" Lupin stared at her curiously.

"In a duel...he challenged me with his insolence. Now they all hate me, it was quite an interesting year." She said in a nonchalant manner.

"Sounds like it...you don't seem wary of your peers."

"I'm not afraid of them, there's nothing to fear as far as I'm concerned."

"Is that so?" Lupin seemed quite intrigued by her statement and she added, "I'm well aware that you're simply trying to convince me to trust you, sir, you need not waste your time with trivial conversation. Ask what you wish to ask, that is why we met, is it not?"

"Yes, I suppose so...well, if you insist on getting to the point, then I would like to know why you left my class if you weren't afraid of the students."

"I was afraid of what the boggart would turn into, I didn't want anyone to get hurt." She admitted quickly, trying to remain in her emotionless state.

"I would have stopped it, Miss Pierce, that's my job as the teacher."

"It's not the boggart you should worry about, sir."

He stared at her in silence, puzzled by her statement.

Growing uncomfortable, Eileen stood and said, "You have your secrets and I have mine, sir. Do not ask me to disclose my fears when you yourself hide something that none of these students are ready to know."

Frowning, Lupin stood and said in a low voice, "I assume you've been speaking to professor Snape then."

"He has told me nothing, I could sense it on my own, the minute I met you on the train...I saw it in your eyes. The pain, the sorrow...the suffering that no one could possibly understand, or so you think," She hissed, her voice slipping into a weak whisper, "But you only suffer once a month, I live with my fears everyday, wondering if I can make it through another day without hurting anyone. You know the boundaries of your condition, I have no such luxury so you will please excuse me if I avoid anything that would put the lives of this school in danger." She turned to leave, hissing over her shoulder, "Good day, professor."

"Good day, Miss Pierce..." Lupin replied blankly as he watched her run across the field and disappear into the shelter of the dusky halls of the school, feeling a little confused if not worried about his new student.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

Eileen stalked off in the direction of the library after her final class ended, wishing to get lost in a book or two and forget about her confrontation with Lupin earlier. Turning a corner, she nearly plowed into one of the Weasley twins.

"Oi, watch where you're - Eileen!" He turned and looked surprised, his expression contorting into a worried frown, "Are you okay? You look upset."

"I'm fine, what are you doing lurking in the halls without your cohort in crime?" Eileen tried to play it cool so she didnt begin to overreact.

"Oh, he's off getting something, he'll be back soon. Where were you off to in such a hurry?"

"The library..."

"Care to keep me company for a second?"

"I...guess so..." She leaned against the wall next to him and said, "So, Mischief...how's life?"

"Mischievous, just the way I like it. You seem to be the only person around here who can tell me apart from my brother." Fred looked curiously down at her.

"It's not that difficult. You have a squarer jaw line than he does, his features are more rounded." Eileen explained as if it were obvious.

"Wow, you're the first to notice that..." A smirk crossed his lips and Eileen turned pink, looking away and muttering, "I'm good with details, it doesn't take me long to memorize things."

"I see...since we're on the subject of features, is that natural?" Fred pointed to her left eye and she flinched slightly, being caught off guard by his finger being so close to her.

"What, my eye? It's been there my whole life..." She frowned at him as if his question was ridiculous.

"No, it's different from the other, the middle stays the same size even if you go outside." He explained.

"Oh, that...it was damaged when I was 5, I managed to save my eyesight but it won't adjust to light anymore." She touched her eye with a lingering thought, her nightmare being a reminder of the origin.

"So is that why you're always hiding in the shade?" Fred seemed enthralled by her permanent injury, staring at her with rapt attention.

"I suppose so...the sun hurts my eye a lot." She spoke softly so that Fred had to lean in closer to hear her clearly.

"You can't fix it?"

"It's not that I can't, it's a reminder, so it never happens again. Not that I could forget..." She sounded depressed and Fred said with a wink, "It's good to have reminders of things, George is a constant reminder of just how handsome I am."

Scoffing, Eileen said, "Is that so..."

"What, you don't agree?" Fred pretended to be appalled.

"I'm only 12, I don't usually think about such things." Eileen cocked an eyebrow at him and he smirked right back.

"What does that matter?" There was a hint of flirtation in his voice and she narrowed her eyes at him, about to reply with some snide retort when George came running up, saying, "What have we here?"

"I found a dove fluttering around, thought we could use her in our little plan." Fred played it cool, pushing off from the wall and smirking at George.

"Brilliant, she can learn the ways of the wicked by becoming our apprentice!" George suggested.

"Brilliant indeed, shall we go then?" Fred exclaimed in joy.

They both took an arm and dragged Eileen down the hallway with them, striding purposefully along and ducking into an empty classroom.

Peeking around the corner, George hissed, "Right, coast is clear!"

"Here goes!" Fred knelt down and tossed something across the floor, a look of eager joy as they waited for their prey to arrive.

A few moments later, a woman with bushy bronze hair came sweeping down the hallway looking rather distracted and completely oblivious to the object on the floor. Suddenly, she stepped on it and an explosion of pink light filled the corridor and when the scene cleared, there stood the woman glowing hot pink from head to toe.

Eileen stifled a gasp as the teacher screamed in horror before running back the way that she came.

Waiting for her to round the corner out of sight and earshot, the twins burst out in fits of laughter, collapsing on each other as their sides ached.

"Why did you do that? That was a teacher!" Eileen exclaimed in shock at their total disregard for the woman's feelings.

"Oh, come on! She deserved it! She insulted Hermione the other day in front of the whole class, we had to do something to make her feel better." Fred explained, still chuckling uncontrollably.

"That doesn't matter, she's still a teacher." Eileen frowned.

"So what, if it was a student you wouldn't care?" George asked, feeling the fun being sucked out of the prank by her scolding.

"I would!" She shouted indignantly.

"So that little stunt you pulled your first year doesn't count?" He raised his eyebrows slyly.

With a look of betrayal, she whispered, "That...was different."

"How? You humiliated Malfoy and we humiliated Trelawny, you just did it with a bunch of people watching."

"I challenged him to a fair fight, she didn't even know what was coming!" She pointed wildly out the door to remind them of the situation.

"Fair fight, sure...you knew you were going to flatten him like a pancake, don't try to deny it."

"Shut up, SHUT UP!" She screamed, clutching at her head and wincing.

George opened his mouth to argue but nothing came out to his great surprise.

Fred stared in surprise as his twin waved his arms frantically, mouthing a panicky comment that obviously meant, "What the bloody 'ell!"

"Eileen, what did you do!" Fred exclaimed, turning his attention back to her and suddenly noticing the odd aura about her.

It was as if tiny red flames were enveloping her body as she shivered in rage, her eyes shut tightly and her jaw clenched. Before he knew it, George had lounged forward and grabbed her by the shoulders as if to get her attention by any means he could.

"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed, the flames exploding and sending George flying through the doorway and into the hall, tumbling awkwardly into the opposite wall with a thud.

"George!" Fred ran after him, falling to his knees next to his body as he writhed in pain, some invisible force causing him extreme pain. In terror, Fred turned and shouted at Eileen, "STOP IT, YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

"I didn't humiliate him on purpose, I didn't ask for the whole school to watch, I just wanted to defend my mother's honor! Mother...MOTHER!" She screamed as she clutched her head in agony, her fury sending George into a more desperate fit of thrashing.

"Eileen, stop, please!" Fred began to beg anxiously, becoming afraid for his brother's life.

"I won't let them speak of you, they don't know...they don't...they don't understand anything!"

"You're killing him!" Fred screamed, his voice resounding like a gunshot and breaking Eileen's trance.

Gasping, George fell limp on the floor, his raspy breath rattling slowly as he struggled to breathe, his eyes wide with fright.

Fred shook his arm lightly, saying in a weak voice, "George, hang on...don't die on me!"

"Oh..." Eileen clapped her hands to her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at her victim as if just realizing what had happened.

"What's your problem? It was just a joke!" Fred exclaimed, a hurt look in his teary eyes.

"No, I didn't mean it, please...I'll make him better!" She pulled out her wand but Fred screamed, "Stay away from him! You've done enough!"

"Please, I didn't mean to hurt him, you have to believe me!" She begged urgently, seeing George's breathing slowing even further.

"What's going on here?" Lupin suddenly appeared out nowhere, walking quickly up the corridor toward them and breaking into a run when he saw George lying near death.

"She tried to kill him!" Fred said fiercely as Lupin knelt next to his brother and touched his chest tenderly.

"I didn't, it was an accident!" Eileen sobbed, her wand hand shaking along with her, "Please let me...let me fix it."

"I said stay away from him, you monster!" Fred screamed.

Eileen's face went whiter than ever, her eyes wide and her lip trembling as tears fell down her face. Quietly, she turned and ran deftly down the hallway without looking back.

"Eileen? Eileen, wait! Oh Fred, did you have to say that?" Lupin looked at him grimly before putting his arms under George and lifting him up. Setting off at a quick pace, he headed for the hospital wing with Fred right on his heel.

OoOoOoOo

That night, Snape was deep in his work when a thunderous knock came at his door. In annoyance, Snape growled, "I'm busy!"

"Severus, please open up, it's urgent!" Lupin shouted through the door, his voice sounding frantic. With a sigh, Snape stood and walked to the door, whipping it open and snarling, "What is it now?"

"It's Miss Pierce, she's run away." Lupin said gravely, a look of concern and exhaustion etched into his worn features.

"What?" Snape frowned.

"Earlier today she attacked one of the students on accident and ran away before I could say anything to her. That was 4 hours ago and nobody's seen her since, I've searched the entire school but she's not here. Severus, something's wrong and I'm really worried about her."

Suddenly, Snape dashed out of his office and tore off down the hallway, quickly followed by a very confused Lupin.

They ran down the front steps and out into the night air, pausing briefly as Snape looked around nervously and lit his wand tip to light their way. Without speaking, he dashed forward and grabbed the gate, finding the right door hanging loosely on its hinges as if something broke it open with great force.

"No, she's gotten out..." Snape hissed, walking out into the open road and staring up the drive as if hoping she were not far ahead.

"What? That's impossible, she's only a 2nd year, she couldn't have - " Lupin looked shocked, touching the disarmed gate.

"She could run circles around Dumbledore, Lupin, don't underestimate her power." Snape hissed, his mind still on finding her.

"Well she couldn't have gotten far, maybe she headed to Hogsmeade!" Lupin suggested hopefully.

"Eileen can apparate, she could be anywhere by now..." Snape told him, sounding slightly irritated by his assumption.

"That's impossible!" Lupin looked baffled beyond words, staring at Snape's silhouette in the darkness.

"She's more powerful than any witch or wizard I've met, too powerful for her own good." Snape explained, seeming to be thinking of where she could have gone.

"Where do you think she went?" Lupin adapted to the situation, just wanting to find her and make sure she was safe.

"Why did she run away, did anyone say anything to her?" Snape changed the subject, not looking at him.

"Yes, Fred called her a...monster." Lupin regretted having to repeat the insult, his stomach clenching in his gut.

"Damn Weasley...go search Hogsmeade, I'll check her home." Snape ordered him before disapparating.

Frowning, Lupin obeyed and popped over to Hogsmeade, beginning his futile search.

Snape apparated inside Eileen's flat, finding her curled up in a corner and glowing profusely, filling the living room with an ominous white glow. Cautiously, Snape said in a soft tone, "Eileen, it's me...Severus."

"Please, don't make me go back...they hate me..." Eileen sobbed mournfully, looking up with fear and sorrow in her puffy eyes.

"They don't hate you, calm down..." Snape crouched a couple feet away from her and waited patiently.

"He...he called me a..."

"I know, Lupin told me."

"He did?"

"Yes, he came to me because he couldn't find you. Why didn't you come to me?" Snape asked in a soothing tone, trying to ease her crying.

"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore...he wouldn't let me help him!" Eileen exclaimed, the aura growing brighter as her emotions built up.

"He just didn't understand, come back with me." Snape extended his hand invitingly.

"I can't...he was my friend and...and now he hates me...he'll tell everyone and then the whole school will hate me!" She sobbed, burying her face in her lap.

The room began to shake menacingly and Snape grew anxious, saying, "Eileen...listen, I'll...I'll talk to him for you."

"No, you'll threaten him!"

"I won't, I promise."

"I don't believe you..." She whispered.

"Then come with me, we'll talk to him together."

"What about...Lupin?" She looked up, wiping her eyes as the glow around her began to dull.

"What about him?" Snape frowned.

"He...he found George, he must think I'm a freak too..."

"I think his opinion is the complete opposite, honestly...why would he look for you if he shared Fred's opinion?" Snape tried to reason with her and she seemed to consider this for a moment.

"I guess...you have a point." She sniffed.

"Then will you come back?" Snape held his hand out further and waited until Eileen reached out slowly, taking his hand and letting him pull her toward him.

She crawled into his arms and the glow around her disappeared, her trembling form relaxing into his warm embrace.

"George...I almost killed him..." Eileen whispered.

"You can help him as soon as we get back." Snape said, helping her to her feet.

"But...Fred told me to stay away from him." Eileen worried, holding onto Snape as she shook.

"It's not his choice, if he wants his brother to die that's his problem but I'm sure the headmaster would agree with me that it would be safer to have you heal him now and answer to it later." Snape put her arm in his and said, "Hold on, I'll apparate us both back."

She remained silent as Snape turned and they reappeared in front of the Hogwarts gates, finding Lupin there finishing his repair of the broken hinges.

He turned and smiled thankfully as he said, "Thank Merlin, you found her. But I assume you knew where she was all along."

"Perhaps." Snape cocked an eyebrow as he walked her through the gate, heading up to the entrance hall as Lupin locked up behind them. It was very late and all the other students and teachers had gone to bed so their journey was fast and unhindered. Snape opened the door to the hospital wing and the trio entered to find Pomfrey hovering over George still trying to keep him alive.

"Oh thank goodness, has the headmaster decided to send him to St. Mungos?" Pomfrey flitted toward them before seeing Eileen and blinking in surprise.

"No, that won't be necessary. Is his brother around?" Snape asked, peering around her at the half-concealed bed. Upon hearing himself being mentioned, Fred popped around the curtain and exclaimed, "How could you bring her here!"

"Silence!" Snape bellowed.

He led Eileen toward the bed and Fred jumped forward, saying, "Don't you dare! Keep her away from him, you don't know what she's capable of!"

Grabbing the front of Fred's sweater vest, Snape yanked him within inches of his face and snarled, "On the contrary, I know exactly what she's capable of. Now unless you want your brother to die, get out of the way!" He hurled him aside and gently urged Eileen forward, blocking Fred as he threw himself at her and tried to stop her.

Lupin hurried over and helped to restrain him, muttering to Snape, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Snape said, watching her and nodding in encouragement when she looked back nervously. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her wand and began to chant nervously, trying not to lose her focus as Fred protested wildly. Minutes later, she lowered her wand and said, "George, can you hear me?"

Everyone waited in captivated silence as George's eyelids fluttered open and he stared at her in wonder before everything flooded back to him and he screamed, sitting bolt upright and crawling back across the bed toward the wall.

She ran to Snape as the men released Fred and let them swap places, hiding in the shadow of his side underneath his robes and peering out nervously as Fred went to his brother.

"George, are you alright?" Fred asked nervously, shaking his brother out of his fear-stricken trance.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. What in the name of Merlin happened!" He said, his voice not as bold and playful as usual.

"If you'll remain quiet for a moment, I believe Miss Pierce would like to say something. Eileen?" Snape told them in a commanding tone before whispering sweetly to Eileen and resting his hand on her back over his cloak.

She looked apprehensive at first but decided it would be better to explain it now than let them continue on in doubt. Stepping in front of Snape and leaning with her back against him, she rubbed her arm nervously and said, "I...I don't exactly know what happened...it wasn't my usual reaction to such things."

"Your usual reaction?" George burst out and shut his mouth when Snape gave him a death glare. Swallowing, she said in a quieter voice, "When...when I become angry or afraid, I...I lose control. My head hurts so much it's hard for me to focus and stop once it's started, that's why I told you not to touch me. I didn't want to hurt you but my...my powers are...I can't control it...I'm sorry!" She turned and buried her face in Snape's stomach, shivering uncontrollably.

Lupin looked at her compassionately as the twins seemed to mull over what she confessed.

"She never wanted to hurt anyone, it's not her fault she was born this way..." Lupin said in her defense.

"I'm...so sorry, George..." She sobbed from her cowering position, too scared to face their stares anymore.

"I believe you owe her an apology, Weasley." Snape said in a low voice, glaring at Fred.

"For what?" He responded defiantly.

"For calling her a...monster." Snape said the last word quietly but she still twitched at the mention of it.

"No...he's right..." Eileen whispered.

"No, he's not!" Snape exclaimed, pulling her away to stare at her intensely.

"I am a monster! It's my fault I'm not strong enough to control my own powers, that I keep hurting the people I care about...I deserve it..." She rubbed her left eye hard as she stared at the floor.

"Is...is that why you didn't heal your eye? Because of...this?" Fred spoke cautiously, inching forward.

"Partially..." She turned to him with pleading eyes and a look of concern filled his face.

"Tell me...who did this to you?" Fred inquired, wanting to understand but struggling.

Shaking, she scratched the side of her face slowly, saying in a hushed voice, "My father...I made him angry...I told him to stop hitting mother so he...hit me instead..."

"Eileen..." Fred looked stunned.

"I couldn't stop him, he was so much stronger than I was...I just..." She began scratching harder, leaving red marks from her nails.

"Eileen...I'm sorry...about everything, you were right, we shouldn't have done that." He said, turning to his brother who looked just as shocked by this revelation.

"Yeah..." George said, rubbing his arm absentmindedly.

Glancing at the floor, Fred said, "Hey, um...how about we forget this ever happened, what do you say?"

"I think you would do well to remember this, Weasley, next time you're pulling one of your pranks on someone." Snape interjected, placing a hand on Eileen's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Fred mumbled, looking apologetically at Eileen, "Think you could find it in your heart to forgive me for what I called you?"

"If you can forgive me." Eileen sniffed, dropping her hand to her side and gazing at him sorrowfully.

"Of course, I can't stay mad at you, Dove." Fred smiled, holding his hand out, "Truce?"

With a bright smile that lit up her tear-stained face, she flung herself at him, tackling him in a hug.

"Well then, since everything's been resolved, I suggest we all get to bed, it's very late and some of us have to teach in the morning." Lupin spoke up suddenly, stretching his hand out and ushering the boys toward the door.

The boys said their goodnights to Eileen after sharing a few more hugs and apologies, walking out of the room ahead of Lupin.

Finding themselves alone, Snape looked down at Eileen with a scowl and said, "You didn't have to apologize to them, you did nothing wrong."

"Sometimes it's better to put things behind you and move on...I would rather admit I was wrong and have friends than argue the fact and be hated for a simple misunderstanding." Eileen smiled up at him and turned to go before pausing and saying, "Oh and...you may want to visit Professor Trelawny, she's a bit pink this evening..."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

Time flew by and before anyone knew it, they were nearly a month into the first term, busy with essays and studying. Eileen and the twins had gotten back on friendly terms again but decided it was best not to hang out when they were feeling particularly prankish.

It was the last day of September, a cool and cloudy day, most of the students were outside after school playing and enjoying the swift breeze. Eileen sat on the bench beneath the tall oak again, quietly keeping to herself and reading a book far too advanced for a girl her age. A group of girls were hovering around the opposite side of the courtyard - most likely gossiping about things, while a small gang of boys lounged around the archway back into the school and messed with random 1st years that walked past. It seemed like a normal, relaxing evening but something about it made Eileen unsettled.

Finally becoming too disturbed to study anymore, she got up and strolled across the courtyard and out into the grounds, a windy updraft rustling her hair and robes as she walked along slowly and aimlessly. She made her way across the rolling hills down to the low field Hagrid's cabin resided in, journeying past it toward the far side of the schools grounds to watch the sun set over the mountains. She made a wide birth around the disgruntled whomping willow tree that had a habit of attacking any who approached it, cautiously crawling over a pile of rocks and perching herself at last on the highest boulder.

Setting her bag down and letting out a contented sigh, she pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly as she admired the sunset and let the mixture of oranges and reds melt her thoughts away. The sky shifted from reds to pinks and purples before growing darker, as if trying to paint a beautiful landscape while someone came along behind it filling in the colors with black. Just as the sunset turned a dusky plum, a rustling came from down below her, setting her reflexes into action as she flattened herself against the rock.

Peering over the edge of the stone, she saw a hunched figure battle its way toward the stump of the tree, leaning over and seeming to crouch over the roots momentarily. The tree came to an abrupt stop and the figure disappeared under the ground mysteriously, leaving Eileen with an intense curiosity to follow. Grabbing her bag and jumping from her perch, she hurried to the tree before it could regain its composure and stared down at an unnoticed hole beneath its trunk. Frowning, she crept into it and slid down into a dark corridor, inching slowly down the passage for a few feet before hearing a sickening howl echo from the opposite end of the tunnel. She froze, fear striking her like a lightning bolt as her heart raced madly in her chest, wishing her to turn around and run away when she realized who it was. But her curiosity got the better of her and she moved forward, rounding a corner and peering into the darkness warily. A faint light glowed at the end of the tunnel and she started down the length toward it, finding a rickety ladder that led up to a hatch. Easing the hatch up a bit and peeking her head up through the floor, she found herself staring in the sitting room of some dilapidated building. All around her, remnants of old furniture littered the hardwood floor, smashed beyond repair and recognizable shape.

A crash sounded in the next room and she lowered herself back into the tunnel a bit, her eyes barely above the edge of the floor as she heard the scuffling grow closer to her location. Suddenly, a wolfish head appeared around the corner of the doorway a few feet away, its nose sniffing the air curiously before turning to stare at her. With a gasp, Eileen whispered, "Professor...?"

Before she had time to duck, the creature lunged forward, lashing out with a clawed hand and catching the edge of her bag along with a clump of her robes. Slamming into the hatch as she was pulled into the room, Eileen let out a scream as she went flying across the room and crashed into a pile of broken furniture.

Scrambling desperately to her feet, she reached for her wand but didn't get to it in time before Lupin was upon her.

He lunged forward, catching her arm in his mouth and sinking his teeth in, making to break it.

"AH! _STUPIFY_!" She screamed without her wand in hand.

As if hit by a train, Lupin went flying, crashing into the wall just feet from the hatch and yelping in pain.

Taking this chance to escape while he was down, she dove for the hatch, lifting it enough to slip through and tumble awkwardly back into the tunnel, her bag remaining behind in the room with the werewolf. Not stopping to think, she broke into a run and headed straight for the entrance under the tree. Scrambling desperately, she broke out into the night air and took off across the grounds, her heart pounding faster than her feet on the grass.

She entered the school and thundered through the corridors toward Snape's office, stumbling a few times in her extreme anxiety to find safety. Slamming into his door, she pounded on it eagerly, calling out to him in a hoarse voice as she slid to the floor on her knees. He wasn't back from dinner yet and her legs were too tired to carry her any further, feeling quite hopeless and vulnerable. It felt like hours before she heard the echo of footsteps approaching, their pace quickening when her body was noticed huddled at the foot of the door.

"Eileen! Bloody hell, what's happened to you!" Snape exclaimed, his eyes locking onto the rugged gash in her robes.

"I...I followed...professor..." Eileen muttered, trying to regain her strength in order to stand but not finding her body cooperative.

Opening the door, Snape lifted her into his arms and carried her inside, setting her down on the edge of his desk and removing her outer robe. She didn't protest as he striped her sweater vest off, revealing a gruesome looking gash between her shoulder blades that was slowly staining her white shirt red.

His eyes widening, he said, "He attacked you..." He then grabbed her arm and ripped the sleeve back, seeing the deep bite mark in her skin, "You fool, do you know what this means!"

"Will...will I turn into a werewolf too?" She muttered, swaying slightly from the trauma and blood loss.

"Yes! What on earth would inspire you to follow Lupin? I thought you knew he was a werewolf by now!" Snape scolded her harshly, steadying her before sweeping around the desk and into a back room, clattering around for a moment before returning with a few jars. He yanked her over and opened a jar, sticking his fingers in and producing a gooey substance that he rubbed over her wounds on her back.

Moaning, she clutched at his waist to keep from falling off the desk as he tended to her gash with swift skill, using random other plants and mixtures to cleanse and heal it as best a werewolf-related injury could be healed.

Finally, he pulled her back up and held her at arm's length, saying, "You could have died! He didn't take his potion yesterday or today, no doubt he was out of his mind!"

"He did seem rather...savage..." Eileen wobbled, wincing as Snape tended to the bite mark on her arm next. It was painful but she was lost in thought, the experience being frightening and yet...oddly exciting, not like her experience fighting the Acromantulas. She snapped out of her trance when Snape said, "Stay here, I'm going to have a word with the headmaster about this."

"No, please! I don't want to get professor Lupin in trouble, it's my fault it happened!" She begged, grabbing his sleeve and nearly toppling off the desk in her desperation.

"You have no idea what's happened, do you? You've been infected, it may not feel like it now but you'll start becoming aggressive, savage, lashing out at people - " Snape snarled.

"I do that anyway, what does it matter!" She shouted, looking frustrated, "Severus, I'm just fine, I don't need any special treatment just because my curiosity got the best of me. I deserved it; it'll be another reminder of things I shouldn't do..." She muttered.

He turned on her, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly and saying, "This is nothing to take lightly, Eileen! You're a threat to every student here, if you scratch someone, even by accident - "

"Then I won't touch anyone! Nothing's changed, Severus, I just have another reason to distance myself from anything I care about so leave me alone!" She shrieked, pushing him away and grabbing her garments before running to the door.

"Eileen, wait!" Snape tried to stop her but she slammed the door in his face, running as fast as her weak legs could carry her.

She managed to get to the top of the stairs before falling and dropping her clothes, trying to stand again to no avail. Behind her, she could hear Snape hurrying to catch up to her and gave all her effort to stand and run. Stumbling, she managed to get around the corner and fall precariously into a suit of armor, knocking it over and sprawling out beside it.

The raucous attracted the attention of several students wandering out of the great hall and they stared at her in wonder, her disheveled appearance making it look like she'd been molested. Just then, Snape appeared around the corner and started toward her but stopped when he saw the crowd gathering, his heart sinking at the disapproving glares they were giving him.

"Somebody get the headmaster, Snape's attacking a student!" One of the guys shouted, attracting more attention to the situation.

Unable to move, Snape stared at Eileen regretfully and hissed, "Miss Pierce, get up!"

But Eileen didn't move, her head still reeling from her ordeal with Lupin, having hit her head several times along the way.

Finally, McGonagall hurried out of the great hall followed shortly by Dumbledore, both rushing over to Eileen in shock. Kneeling, McGonagall helped her to sit up as Dumbledore said to Snape, "Severus, explain."

"I...it's not what it looks like, Dumbledore." Snape even sounded guilty of something he didn't do.

"And what would that be exactly?" His voice was sharp and oddly alarming, his eyes burning into Snape as he stared at a crack in the marble floor.

"Miss Pierce, are you alright? Come now, stay awake..." McGonagall spoke with a concerned tone, holding her upright as she examined her for signs of a concussion.

"It...wasn't..." Eileen muttered, falling against McGonagall's chest weakly.

"I didn't do anything to her!" Snape said in a harsh whisper, the weight of the students' watchful gazes making him feel cornered as he pointed to her clothes, "Look."

Both teachers gazed in horror at the rips and tears that could only have been made by an animal.

Gasping, McGonagall said, "No..."

"Yes." Snape said gravely.

"This is most unfortunate..." Dumbledore gazed down at her before returning his attention to Snape who looked like he was close to running away if the crowd didn't disperse soon.

"Right then, nothin' ter see here! Off ter bed, almost curfew! Put tha' camera away, Creevey!" Hagrid had been watching for a minute before taking it upon himself to send the children away, guessing this was a private matter not suited for curious minds.

When the last stragglers had been shooed away, McGonagall beckoned him over and he picked Eileen up with great care, looking at Snape with a curious concern that made him uncomfortable.

"Well then, I think it would be best if we took this matter to my office. Miss Pierce seems in fine enough order to join us before she sees the nurse, if everyone will follow me" Dumbledore swept off down the hallway with Hagrid letting Snape go first, making sure he didn't try to disappear on them.

They made their way up the spiral staircase and sat around in the extra chairs Dumbledore produced, taking his position in front of his desk.

"Now, please explain everything that has happened, Severus." Dumbledore asked Snape who looked like he was fighting to stay calm as he kept glancing at Eileen seated on Hagrid's knee in a groggy state.

"Lupin attacked her, she followed him when he went to the shack." Snape grumbled, looking up at Dumbledore.

"Why was she running from you?"

"I threatened to bring it to your attention but she was...less than compliant."

"As you should have, this is a very serious situation." Dumbledore nodded.

"Many of the children said that you had...molested Miss Pierce." McGonagall added.

"That's a lie! I would never do such a thing!" Snape exclaimed, leaping out of his chair and assuming a defensive stance, "I was treating her wounds when she got upset and ran off! I couldn't stop her in time!"

"Calm yourself, Severus, you have no need to defend yourself. It was a simple misunderstanding, we will clear things up with the students in the morning." Dumbledore attempted to calm down the potions master who was by now seething with rage, "Now to the pressing matter at hand, professor Lupin's involvement."

"He should be fired for what he did!" Snape snapped harshly.

"Severus, please!" McGonagall hissed.

"Could you tell me how the incident occurred?" Dumbledore inquired in a firm voice, trying to keep things organized.

"She didn't go into too many details, just that she followed him." Snape explained, still upset.

"Then perhaps it is time to ask her personally. Hagrid?" Dumbledore motioned to Hagrid who tapped her lightly to wake her.

Wobbling, she looked up and around, her mind in a haze from the concussion. She caught Snape's eye and he glared at her momentarily before looking away at some random shiny object sitting nearby on a table.

"Miss Pierce, can you tell us what happened this evening?" Dumbledore asked calmly, moving closer.

"I...I followed professor...Lupin..." Eileen moaned, rubbing her head painfully.

"What happened?"

"I walked down a long hallway. I heard him screaming...no, he was howling. I saw a light and opened this...hatch...in the ceiling. There was a room, it was...it was a mess. Then I heard him coming and I...I didn't move fast enough, he caught my bag and pulled me into the room."

"Oh!" McGonagall gasped, looking quite alarmed.

"I tried to get to my wand but...he grabbed me, so I had to resort to using my magic without it. I managed to force him off and get out of the room but...I might have hurt him."

"And then what happened?" McGonagall joined the interrogation, fidgeting in her chair as Dumbledore paced.

"I fell down the ladder and hit my head...then I ran. I just ran. I didn't stop until I got to Severus' office...I mean, professor..." She mumbled, trying to correct her reference.

"And then?" At this, Snape glared at Dumbledore as if he hadn't believed his version of the story.

"Then I waited for...for professor Snape. He came and took me in his office and...and he healed my wounds. Please, sir, don't blame professor Lupin, I shouldn't have followed him...he couldn't help it!" Eileen begged weakly, teetering on Hagrid's knee before he put his hand out to steady her.

"No one is blaming Lupin, it was an honest mistake. You weren't aware that it was a hazard to follow him, though I might advise you in the future not to follow people down anymore holes without knowing what lies on the other side." Dumbledore said, ceasing his pacing and walking toward her.

"Actually, sir...I did know." Eileen confessed and McGonagall glared at Snape in shock, saying, "Severus! We agreed not to tell the students!"

"I told her nothing about his affliction, she figured it out on her own!" Snape hissed at her, taking offense to her assumption.

"I could sense it, something about him..." Eileen whispered, "Sadness...distance...caution. The way he spoke about things also told me that there was something he was suffering from...seeing him hiding away at the full moon only helped me to my conclusion faster."

"She is a right bright one, ain't she, Dumbledore?" Hagrid chimed in.

"Yes, she is..." Dumbledore sunk into a lapse of thought momentarily before saying, "Though she has a long way to go when it comes to wisdom. I'm afraid there is nothing we can do now, she has been bitten by Lupin in his werewolf form, she will soon have to join him."

"Oh, my dear child..." McGonagall felt a great sorrow for Eileen's new plight.

Eileen just hung her head as Dumbledore let out a sigh, "I think were done for tonight. I would like to meet with you again tomorrow to further address the issue at hand, with professor Lupin's presence, naturally. Hagrid, if you will take Miss Pierce to the hospital wing, I believe an overnight treatment will do nicely."

Together, everyone stood and turned to the door, ushering toward it as Hagrid led the way with Eileen in his arms again. Glancing over his shoulder, Eileen gave Snape one last longing gaze before they descended the stairs and went their separate ways.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

Eileen woke the following day well into the afternoon, to her great shock and surprise. Sitting bolt upright, she felt a sharp pain in her back and suddenly remembered her exploits the previous evening, a dizzy spinning feeling in her head as she moaned in pain and regret.

Bustling around the drawn curtain, Pomfrey didn't smile like she usually did when she tended to Eileen. Instead, she had a grave look of sadness and pity as she said, "My dear, relax, you've been through a lot in the past 24 hours! Here, lay back, let me get you something to eat..." Wordlessly, Eileen did as she was told and let her head hit the pillow, trying to ignore the pounding sensation that followed.

Pomfrey returned with a tray of sandwiches and set them on the table next to Eileen's bed, leaning over to prop her up on more pillows to eat in comfort. Handing her a sandwich, Pomfrey said, "The headmasters worried about you, Eileen, being attacked by the professor during a full moon...it's a wonder you survived it!"

Eileen didn't respond, feeling sick and unwilling to eat, staring vacantly across the room at an empty bed.

"Coming face-to-face with a werewolf, I can only imagine how frightened you must have been!" Pomfrey looked flustered, touching her chest as if her heart were about to leap from it.

"I was at first, but..." She sighed, "It wasn't his fault, he didn't know. I don't blame him for what he did."

"Well, then you're a very brave girl. The headmaster says he wants you to meet with professor Lupin when you're well, they're waiting in his office right now having a talk..." Pomfrey looked apprehensive.

Eileen looked up into her worried eyes and said, "Don't worry, Poppy, I'll be fine. I'm not going to turn into anything anytime soon."

"I know but dear...your life won't be the same...it won't be normal."

"I never had a normal life to begin with." Eileen said ironically, "I think I'll go and meet with them now."

"If you're ready...oh, here's a change of clothes, your roommate Beth brought them by for you." Pomfrey took a pile of clothing off the table and handed it to her.

Looking surprised, she stammered, "She...she knows?"

"The headmaster felt it was best to...not disclose the true nature of the attack. I believe he chose to put the blame on a wolf that has been spotted lurking around the forest late in the evenings."

"I see...thank you, Poppy." Eileen pondered this for a moment before quickly changing and bidding Pomfrey goodbye, heading out into the hall toward Dumbledore's office.

She pondered her situation all the way through the school and up the spiral stairs before realizing she was standing in front of Dumbledore's office door. Forgetting to knock, she opened it and stepped in to find Lupin sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk with his head hung low. Upon hearing her enter, he looked up eagerly and stood, turning to reveal her bag in his grasp.

"Miss Pierce, I was wondering when you would arrive, come and have a seat. Don't be scared." Dumbledore came around his desk and extended a hand in welcome. Blinking, Eileen crossed the room, saying quietly, "I'm not scared, just a little worse for wear, that's all."

"Miss Pierce, I'm so sorry about what happened! When I came to and found your bag on the floor covered with blood, I thought..." Lupin lifted the bag a little, looking at it in shame.

"It's okay, professor, really!" Eileen waved her hand in eager dismissal, trying to stay focused on the matter at hand, "I don't blame you for what happened, I never should have followed you. I guess...I guess I wanted to see a real werewolf for myself. I don't hate you...but thank you for not completely destroying my bag." Eileen walked forward, gingerly taking it from him and examining its contents, more concerned for her schoolbooks than her own well being.

"You're being very calm about this, Miss Pierce, are you aware of the consequences of your actions?" Dumbledore asked grimly.

"I am, sir, and I'm not afraid. In all honesty, I don't see how this will really change my life any." Eileen was preoccupied with checking the ruffled pages of her transfiguration textbook when Lupin said frantically, "Eileen, everything will change! Society will shun you, once a month you'll turn into a savage beast and attack even the most beloved of friends, you - "

"Professor, nothing has changed...my life is that way already, if you hadn't noticed." Eileen said quietly in a hauntingly unaffected voice, staring at him as if none of this seemed new to her.

"But, Eileen..." Lupin looked like he still thought she didn't understand the severity of the setting but she shook her head.

"I know you think that I don't understand but I do. I have lived in fear of myself my entire life, never leaving my house because I was too scared of what may happen if I made a friend, shying away from human contact. Yet despite my precautions, I have still nearly killed both my parents, Professor Snape, and George. I don't even want to say how many creatures have met their untimely demises because of me..." Eileen spoke solemnly, leaving Lupin speechless. Dumbledore walked forward, touching her on the shoulder and saying, "When did you harm Severus?"

"Last year...several times, actually. I didn't want to but...he sacrificed his own well being to help me...if it weren't for him, I don't think I would have been able to survive in this type of environment with other people." Eileen said, hugging her bag in her arms.

Lupin gazed at her in wonder, seeming to be surprised that Snape would willingly put his life on the line to help anyone but himself.

"He has tried his best, though I think he might feel as though he's in over his head concerning your latest condition." Dumbledore nodded.

"I will try not to burden him with it then," Eileen looked serious, "I love him too much to cause him to suffer on my behalf."

"Love?" Lupin looked shocked by her statement, looking from her to Dumbledore and back again.

"Is that so?" Dumbledore seemed just as surprised.

"Oh, please don't tell him I told you that! He's like a father to me, I wouldn't want to upset him." Eileen begged, fretting a little.

"Severus being a father figure...I never thought it possible." Lupin said, shaking his head in disbelief, "You're one amazing young girl, do you know that?"

"Am I?" Eileen blinked in surprise.

"Yes, I do believe so." Lupin attempted a smile but looked too weary to make an effort.

Dumbledore smiled and patted her again before crossing the room to his desk and saying, "Now I believe we came here to discuss something of more immediate concern: Eileen's condition. Since you did bite her, she will suffer the same side effects you do and require a place to stay during the cycles."

"She should have been exhibiting some behavioral traits by now, feeling fatigued and aggressive toward others. She won't experience her first transformation until the next full moon, which should give me plenty of time to educate her about it," Lupin explained, "I'm willing to devote my time to watching over her, since it is my fault this happened."

"It's not your fault, sir!" Eileen protested.

He smiled at her and said, "I should have made sure I was alone before venturing into the tunnel, therefore it is my fault because I didn't take the proper precautions."

"But - "

"I am also a teacher and the one who infected you, so it is my responsibility now to ensure that nothing bad happens to you or the other students." Lupin stated.

She frowned, still obviously convinced he was innocent in the ordeal but agreeing that she needed help now and he was the one qualified to give it.

"Very well then, I give you the duty of watching after her until the next full moon, I expect reports on her progress. If there are no further questions, I believe we should adjourn for the evening, I will see you both at dinner." Dumbledore dismissed them and they left together, walking through the empty corridor in a slow and quiet stroll.

A few moments into the walk, Eileen said, "Sir...why do you blame yourself for what happened?"

"Because I'm an adult and you're not?" Lupin said casually, "Children should be expected to venture where they ought not, I was once a child too, you know...I got into quite a bit of trouble in my day."

"You don't really seem like the trouble-making type, professor." Eileen watched him curiously.

"Well...not me personally, my friends were more the rebellious than I was but I was just as responsible for not stopping them."

"I see...something happened during school, something between you and Snape, right? He said you weren't friends so I assume you must have been enemies by the way you act around each other."

"Brilliant deduction, and he was right. Though it wasnt really my choice, we werent friends at all. Snape...well, he wasn't popular, at least not outside his own house, let's put it that way."

"I'm not popular either, especially not in my own house." Eileen looked morose and Lupin smiled sympathetically, "I guess I have a lot in common with Professor Snape."

"Perhaps...but you don't get into fights on a regular basis, do you?"

"No, not really...was Severus a bully?"

"I don't know that I would have called him a bully, I think my friends would have qualified more for that role than he would. He was, at the least, misunderstood by most everyone because of his love for the dark arts."

"I see...he was an outcast, then." Eileen seemed to feel like she was growing to understand his behavior around others now and why he was the way he was.

"You could say that, yes. I don't really know much about him though, he kept to himself a lot when he wasn't fighting with James."

"Who is James?" Eileen blinked curiously, never having heard of this person before.

"That would be Harry Potter's father, he and I were best friends back in school." Lupin spoke fondly, memories of the good old days flooding back to him.

"Does Harry look like his father?"

"Yes, actually, he looks a lot like his father. He has his mother's eyes though..."

"Did you ever get in a fight with Severus?" Eileen changed the subject.

"No, not really. We had our disagreements but I often preferred to take the pacifists role in the situations. I guess he might call me a coward for it..."

"I wouldn't, I think it was very noble of you not to lash out at him. I try to do the same thing but sometimes I accidentally cut the person down without realizing it." Eileen muttered, remembering all the times she had lost her temper.

"You're a pacifist with a gun, then." Lupin chuckled and she looked puzzled momentarily before saying, "That's an odd way of putting it."

They walked a little further in silence before Eileen stopped and looked out a nearby window, approaching it distantly and folding her arms on the sill to look out at the setting sun.

Lupin leaned on the edge next to her as she said, "This is what I was doing last night before I saw you, I was sitting on top of that great big pile of rocks by the willow watching the sun set and thinking about things."

"That's a good place to watch the sunset from, I've sat up there countless times in my youth to get away from the world and be by myself...it's quite refreshing." Lupin said warmly, his eyes filling with the days long passed.

"Do you ever feel lonely, sir?" Eileen looked up at him like he were a mentor, someone she could relate to now.

"Everyone gets lonely, it's a normal feeling that we all experience from time to time. But yes, I do feel lonely, more so as of late than when I was younger."

"Do you miss your friends?"

"Yes...I miss them a lot." Lupin looked longingly at the horizon as if hoping they would ride across it at any minute.

"We can be friends...I think I would like having a friend that understands how I feel, if that's okay with you."

"Severus won't like that very much." Lupin chuckled.

"He doesn't have to know...it can be our secret." She smiled and he gradually returned it before saying, "I'd be honored to be your friend, Eileen. Now I believe there's a hall full of students about to have dinner, shall we sneak in for a bite?"

"I don't really want to go in there right now..." Eileen sighed in despair.

"You'll have to face them eventually...it'll be okay, as long as you have your friends, there's nothing you can't manage." Lupin encouraged her and she took a deep breath, turning to him and saying, "You're right...let's go."

Giving her a gentle smile, he escorted her all the way to the great hall where he left her at the doors and took his own path down a side hall to go to the head table.

Sneaking in as inconspicuously as she could, she made her way over to the Gryffindor table and barely reached her destination when she was tackled to the floor by two red blurs.

"DOVE!" George exclaimed, clinging to her waist.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Fred wailed, hugging her shoulders and burying his face in her neck.

"Not if you strangle me!" Eileen squeaked, trying to breathe despite the constricting display of affection.

"Dumbledore said a wolf mauled you!" George cried, actually sounding sincerely distraught.

"And none of the teachers would let us visit you!" Fred fussed, clinging even tighter.

"We were so worried!" They said in unison.

"You two are the ones mauling her!" Ron commented at his brothers shameless display.

Letting go of her and sitting on either side of her to stare at her with concern, they asked, "Are you okay?"

"I am now." She chuckled, smiling gratefully to them.

Grinning, they helped her to her feet and filled her in on all the stories people were telling about what had happened to her after Dumbledores announcement, bantering on through dinner as Lupin smiled down on them from the head table.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Two weeks had passed since the full moon and Eileen was still feeling the same as usual, though she was a slight bit more hungry for meats. She spent most of her time around Lupin, learning about werewolves and their habits so that she would know if anything happened out of the ordinary for herself. It was a calm and windy afternoon just after the end of school; Eileen was strolling idly on the grounds away from the noise of students gleefully romping around. She had only been alone for a few minutes when she heard the familiar shouts of the twins as they sprinted across the field toward the Quidditch pitch with their brooms in hand, the rest of the Gryffindor team close behind. With an eager fascination, she followed them over to the field where she found them starting their practices for the upcoming game.

Watching from the ground, she sat in the entrance to the field and enjoyed the blurs of players as they ran through the strategies that they had discussed the previous week. Before long, the sky had darkened and they had to stop for the night, landing and dismounting as they chatted about how things had gone. Fred stopped when he noticed Eileen sitting in the shadows, trotting over to her with a smile on his face as he said, "Alright, Eileen? Having fun watching the winning Quidditch team practice?"

"Yes, it looks very interesting." Eileen said as she stood up, brushing off her robes gingerly.

"You want to give it another go sometime? I'm sure you'd be good at it if you practiced a little more!" He said positively, waving her to the locker room where the rest of the team was putting away their gear.

"It wouldn't do me any good, my house's team wouldn't elect me on if I was their last resort." She sighed truthfully and Fred looked sympathetic.

"Hey, maybe we can convince Dumbledore to move you to a different house! I'm sure you'd fit in great with Ravenclaw, you like books and stuff and they're always looking for good Quidditch players!"

"Are you saying their team sucks?" Eileen cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Who me? Nah...not entirely...Hufflepuff's worse." Fred finally concluded as they entered the locker room.

Several players looked up curiously when they saw Eileen come in, while George waved cheerfully and Harry gave her a smile.

"Weasley, what's the idea bringing a Slytherin into our locker room?" A tall boy with a Scottish accent stalked up to him, looking at Eileen suspiciously.

"She's no Slytherin, she's a mutinous rebel!" Fred hooked his arm around her shoulder and she blushed, looking uneasy under the stares.

"She's okay, Wood, she's on our side." George backed her up.

"Yeah, she's cool." Harry added as he put his Seeker gloves away and shut his locker.

"Well...if you say so...but those Slytherins are getting sneakier lately and I don't want to risk losing the championship for anything." Wood eyed her one last time before stalking out of the room.

"Ignore him, he's just uptight like this when things are looking shaky." Fred reassured her as he walked over to a bench and sat down, taking off his shin guards.

"What's the matter?" Eileen blinked curiously.

"Malfoy's been feigning impairment after being attacked by that hippogriff of Hagrid's, Wood thinks he'll try to pull something at the match in three weeks." George grumbled, throwing a piece of equipment into the locker fiercely.

"But that was 6 weeks ago, his arm should have healed by now." Eileen looked surprised.

"Yeah, but he's got Snape running around saying he's been permanently injured, plus Malfoy's father is throwing a fit over the whole thing. If you ask me, it's all a bunch of bull-" Fred was about to finish his sentence when he saw that Eileen looked depressed, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing...I'll see you later, Mischief." She mumbled, waving to George, "Bye, Mayhem."

"Later..." They said in unison, exchanging worried looks as she vanished out the doorway. Slowly, she crossed the field to make her way back to school to hide in the dormitory, far from prying gossips. Snape had been avoiding spending much time around her since rumors started floating around about what happened between them the night she was attacked, only being seen around her when she was in his class. She had been avoiding social activities lately because everywhere she went she was questioned about her relationship with Snape, what they did in private, how often he had approached her sensually or abused her. Not able to take it anymore, she had begun to follow the twins more often or lull around Lupin to stay safe from the mobs.

She ascended the stairs into the school and strolled down the abandoned corridor, her footsteps lightly echoing off the stone walls. Turning a corner, she stopped in shock upon seeing Snape walking down the hall just feet from her and called out without realizing it, "Severus!"

He whirled around and looked palely at her before dashing forward and disappearing behind a tapestry. Determined to speak to him, she ran as fast as she could to catch up to him and whipped the wall hanging back to find Snape struggling halfway up a concealed staircase.

"Damn step..." Snape cursed under his breath, fighting to get his leg free of the magical stair that normally he would have remembered to step over but in his hurry had forgotten, becoming entangled in its void.

Not sure how long he would remain stuck there, Eileen leapt up the steps and fell to her knees next to him. He flattened himself against the wall, his face white as a sheet as she said, "Severus, why did you run from me!"

"Miss Pierce, I can't be seen with you, not right now!" Snape hissed, still pulling with all his might to get free. She leaned closer and held her face just inches from his face, making him quite flustered as she said, "Why, it's just some stupid rumor! I don't care what they say, Severus...I miss you."

"I..." He slid away from her along the wall, looking awkward.

"It's been so hard, Severus...everyone constantly asks me questions that I don't like, they won't leave me alone...I need you!" She pleaded.

"You have Lupin now, why do you need me." Snape grumbled, looking away.

"Because I love YOU!" She shouted, trying to reach out to hug him.

"Lower your voice!" He hissed, pulling at his leg again while blocking her attempts and looking around frantically as if expecting someone to come running and see them.

"I can't take it anymore, Severus, please don't push me away! Don't leave me..." She began to sob quietly, hanging limply in his outstretched arms, "Why...why are you doing this...what did I do wrong..."

Severus didn't reply, his head hanging so that his hair masked his face, still holding her at arms length as she sobbed. He suddenly felt her weight leave his arms and looked up to see Lupin picking her up gently, lifting her up onto his hip and cradling her supportively while holding out  
a hand to him to pull him out.

"I never did like that step very much." Lupin said sympathetically.

Snape looked away and refused his assistance, sitting awkwardly on the stairs in dejection.

Shifting Eileen's weight a bit, he said, "Alright then...suit yourself." Lupin stepped around him and headed back down the stairs, stopping at the bottom and saying before he left, "I honestly think you're being rather childish about this, she does need you...if that means anything to you."

Snape didn't move or respond, remaining on the step with his head bowed.

OoOoOoOo

Lupin carried Eileen all the way to his office where he sat her in a chair next to the fireplace, strolling over to his desk and making a pot of tea with magic. Turning, he brought the tray over to her and set it on a small table next to the chair, pouring two cups out and offering one to her.

She didn't move, in fact she had been quiet all the way to his office and he cocked his head to the side to look at her.

"Tea?" Lupin asked, inching it closer to her in case she hadn't noticed it the first time but she still didn't respond. Setting it down, he knelt in front of her and said, "I know you're upset about Snape but you really shouldn't let it get to you, just give him a little time and I'm sure he'll come around when the rumors settle down."

"No...I should just accept it...he doesn't care about me anymore, I've ruined his reputation. I need to face the consequences of my actions..." Eileen spoke hollowly, staring at her lap blankly.

"Eileen, it was an accident. You didn't know that they'd make those assumptions, don't blame yourself." Lupin frowned.

"It's okay, sir...I'll be fine, I just need to...move on." She said quietly.

"I'll talk to him, I'm sure I can get him to understand."

"Don't get involved, it's not your problem - "

"It is my problem! If it weren't for me, you never would have gotten in trouble!" Lupin fretted, looking concerned.

"I told you already, I don't blame you for what happened..."

"But, Eileen..." Lupin looked determined to take the blame but she shook her head and said, "I refuse to blame you or let you blame yourself. You have no control over your condition, you did your best to get to a safe place and be away from people but once you transform, you can't control your actions. I shouldn't have been there, therefore it is my fault for entering your safe house knowing full well what you had become."

Sighing and resigning himself to a nearby chair, he took his cup of tea and sipped it thoughtfully. Setting his cup on its saucer and gazing into the fire, he said in a low voice, "James always said I blamed myself for far too much. I guess I just want to make everyone happy and fix everything, it's another side effect of being a werewolf. Not many people want to be friends with someone that could kill them unintentionally so you try to hold onto anyone that does like you, even if you have to look the other way sometimes when they do things you know aren't right."

"Sometimes I feel that way with Fred and George." Eileen seemed to be lost in thought for a while, finally reaching over and taking the tea, sipping it gingerly.

"Oh, they're angels compared to my school friends. They're more pranksters than troublemakers, it's all innocent fun. My friends...they liked to hex people and cause trouble, skivving during class and sneaking out after curfew."

"Not unlike Ron and Harry." Eileen mused.

Chuckling, Lupin said, "Oh?"

"Yeah, I've run into them several times after curfew."

"What were you doing out past curfew?" Lupin seemed amused but he was very casual about it.

"Getting into trouble." She replied simply, finishing her tea.

"I see...well I guess I honestly can't judge, I was no better." He smiled softly.

Setting her teacup down, she slowly got up from her seat, her vacant gaze locked onto the fireplace as she said quietly, "I should go to bed, it's getting late."

Rising as well, he escorted her to the door, opening it and saying, "Everything will work out, Eileen, I'm sure of it."

"I wish I had your optimism, professor...goodnight." She sighed, taking her leave and shuffling down the hallway, her heavy heart giving her no inspiration to walk any faster than she had to. Eileen strode down the long hallway alone for quite a while before nearly running into a nervous looking boy she only barely remembered from opening ceremonies.

Blinking, she looked surprised when he said, "Oh, Miss Pierce! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, are you alright?"

"Yes, I...you're...Lucas, correct?" Eileen's voice was distant but she seemed to register his presence.

"You remember me? I'm flattered!" Lucas blushed as he gave her a sweet smile.

"I have an excellent memory, Mr. Beowulf." Eileen responded, still looking aloof.

Shyly, Lucas said, "So, um...you're a 2nd year, right?"

"Yes."

"But I've seen you in the library doing 5th and 6th year homework and essays! How do you do it?" Lucas eyes shone in admiration as he said this and woke Eileen from her trance a little.

"I studied much of what is taught here before enrolling." Eileen answered, somewhat relieved to have someone actually show an interest in her intellect rather than shun it.

"That's so cool, I wish my parents would have taught me some magic before I came to Hogwarts, I haven't been doing so well in my classes..." Lucas smile faded and he looked grimly at the floor.

"Find a study pattern that works best for you. I find it useful to read over a full lesson then remember key points and words that would help me remember the rest of the information. Some people like to make up songs to memorize homework, I haven't tried it but you never know until you try it for yourself."

"Really? Thanks! I don't know why people talk about you the way they do, you're really nice." He smiled, "My mom always said you shouldn't judge a book by its reviews until you've read it yourself!"

"That's a clever saying...but what have people been saying?" She looked depressed.

"Oh, horrible things, I never believed them because if it were true the staff would have done something about it a long time ago! Besides, I know you earn your grades, why would you study and pretend to do work if you knew you'd get a good score?"

"What?" Her eyes widened at this as she said sternly, "They think I cheat?"

"Only in certain classes." Lucas looked wary of her fiery eyes.

"Let me guess...Potions?"

"Among others, yes...I don't understand why they would think you were having a..." He stopped before finishing his sentence, looking like he didn't want to continue.

"A what? Sexual relationship with professor Snape?" She frowned and his eyes widened insanely.

"I never believed them, honest! I think it's disgusting what they make up! Honestly, the teachers should assign more homework to keep them busy!" Lucas looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, they should." Eileen muttered, looking slightly annoyed.

"Hey, uh...do you want to study together sometime? I could use some pointers if you wouldn't mind helping me." Lucas asked timidly, trying to change the subject.

"Not today, I don't feel well." Eileen said, sinking back into her stupor.

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can do? Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey" Lucas looked concerned.

"No, it's not like that...I'll help you tomorrow evening." Eileen became eager to get away from his questions, hoping he'd go away if she gave in to his request.

"Really? You're the greatest, thank you so much! I'll meet you in the library tomorrow after school! How's 4:30 PM?" Lucas' eyes sparkled again as he beamed.

"Sounds reasonable." Eileen said.

"I'll see you then, I hope you feel better soon! Goodbye! Thank you! Bye!" Lucas waved as he dashed off down the hallway away from her and left her alone once again.

Sighing, she continued on her journey to the dormitory where she walked in to find Draco entertaining a group of lackeys with the ridicule of some innocent student.

Upon seeing her, he jumped off the table he was acting on and strolled lazily up to her, saying, "Well, if it isn't the school whore? I hear you have private sessions with Snape, he's really hard on his students but I bet you enjoy it. Just how big is his wand?"

"You've seen it, you tell me." Eileen glared at him, obviously not aware of the innuendo he was using or her own return comment's worth.

His face turned pale as he sputtered, "Filthy liar, th-that's not true!"

"Of course it is, he has it out in class all the time! You probably just had your back to him when he used it." The other Slytherins gasped, some giggled at the look of horror on Draco's face, while others just stared on in shock at her bluntness.

"O-oh yeah? Well...at least I don't let him use his stirring rod in MY cauldron!" Draco replied childishly.

"Why, you have your own rod, I'm sure it works just as well." Eileen looked confused by his comment as more students joined in on the laughter.

"Well, you...you're...a whore!" Draco said once more, unable to think of more hidden meanings to sling at her.

"I have no idea what that means but I take it you're trying to insult me. If you have nothing better to do with your time than speak harshly of your fellow students, than I have no respect for you and therefore think of you as nothing more than a pathetic soul with no notable goals in life. Good day to you, Mr. Malfoy, and I suggest that you pay more attention to your own wand and stop concerning yourself with others." Eileen said swiftly, leaving Draco to gawk at her as she retired to her room.

She hid in her dorm room for the rest of the evening, burying herself in unnecessary studies and extra homework given to her to be finished in 4 days time. Mephistopheles purred at her pleadingly for food but she was too lost in her work to notice, finally passing out around 3 AM when she couldn't stay awake any longer and had finished everything that was due.

The following morning, she staggered out of bed almost drunkenly, pulling on a fresh set of clothing and grabbing her bag lazily before heading down to breakfast. She sat at the end of the Slytherin table for once, eating quickly and sparingly, taking what she could from the trays in order to feed her starving cat before leaving like a passing thought.

After feeding him, she went to her classes for the day and turned in all of her homework, to the teachers' great surprise. As promised, she went to the library and found Lucas sitting in a dark corner that she usually occupied, smiling as she approached.

"Hello, Eileen!" Lucas said cheerfully.

"Hello...what did you need help with." She asked idly, dropping her bag quietly on the table and plopping unceremoniously into a chair across from him.

"Well, I was having trouble remembering the dates for all these battles and discoveries in History class and I was wondering if you could help me with that..." Lucas and Eileen got to work on his homework and went for at least 2 hours before finally quitting for the day.

They gathered their books up and put back the ones they'd borrowed from the library before hauling their own with them down to the great hall. It was awkwardly quiet for a while until Lucas said boldly, "Would you like to be my study buddy?"

"Your what?" Eileen stared at him vacantly and his cheeks reddened as he said, "Nevermind, it's silly..."

"You obviously didn't think it was silly a minute ago when you asked, what is it?"

"I...I was wondering if you would, that is...if it would be possible for us to...um...I mean..." Lucas stumbled over his thoughts and looked completely distraught.

"You want to study with me?" Eileen asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously.

"If...if it's okay with you...I don't want to be a burden." He stared at his books nervously.

"You are welcome to join me whenever you like, I have no reason to turn you away." She said, turning her attention again to the hallway to make sure there wasn't anyone watching or lurking around to catch her off guard with more questions and insinuations.

They approached the great hall and she stopped, staring at the entrance as Snape had just come walking out of it and was coming their way. Upon seeing her, he stopped as well and looked uncertain to do anything with Lucas watching curiously. But just as quickly as she had stopped, she walked on and passed Snape as if he wasn't there, her expression being vacant and emotionless as she kept her eyes locked on the room ahead, Lucas nervously following in her wake.

Snape glanced over his shoulder at her, a look of frustration crossing his face before he whirled around and stalked off toward the dungeons.

"Eileen...is everything okay?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"Everything is just...fine." She said in a voice so cold that it scared Lucas.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

It was the eve before Halloween, decorations where being put up everywhere and Lupin was looking unwell as the full moon was due later that evening. He was keeping a close eye on Eileen and seeing that he was somewhere around her between classes and after school ended.

Wishing for a bit of fresh air, Eileen broke out into the grounds an hour before dinner and began to take a leisurely stroll when she was quickly joined by Lupin.

"Eileen, there you are, I was looking for you!" Lupin said in the most cheerful voice he could muster at the moment, which sounded tense at the most.

"I know." She said simply, obviously trying to avoid him with her journey outside.

"How are you feeling today?" Lupin tried to pretend like he was just having a casual conversation with her but she knew better.

"The same as I felt 15 minutes ago, sir." She responded bitterly, staring out at the forbidden forest almost longingly.

"I know you're getting tired of me asking but you know very well there's a full moon tonight, I have to keep an eye on you." Lupin looked worried that she wasn't listening to him but she turned her gaze to his weary eyes and said, "Correction: You feel obligated to."

"Well...yes and no." He looked away this time and let out a sigh; "Dumbledore is worried about you as well, he's not happy with me at the moment..."

"Why? I've said a thousand times that it wasn't your fault! Besides, did Dumbledore express his displeasure specifically?" Eileen looked exasperated with his insistence in blaming himself.

"You were at that meeting..." Lupin still did not meet her gaze for obvious reasons.

"Yes I was and I distinctly remember him saying 'Are you aware of the consequences of your actions', not professor Lupin's...sir." Eileen tried to remember that he was an authoritative figure and not a friend to idly argue with.

He looked at her curiously before asking, "You're determined to take the blame, aren't you?"

"I could ask you the same thing, sir." She didn't look amused but he let out a little chuckle all the same.

"Very well then...why don't we agree to share the blame and stop this bickering once and for all?" He suggested.

Looking unsure and obstinate, she muttered, "I suppose it's only fair..."

"Yes..." He said, his thoughts wandering to the sky as fluffy clouds obscured the suns bright light from view, allowing them to walk in shade.

Hagrid's wooden cabin came into view and Eileen said softly, "It must be so wonderful to have a place to hide away from the world when you need to escape...I get chased down by people when I try to escape."

"Sometimes it's not always best to run away from your problems, Eileen. In some cases, one should stand and fight instead of leaving the issue unresolved. Many friends have grown bitter toward each other and parted ways because one or the other refused to address the situation at hand." Lupin said methodically, grasping his hands behind his back as they strolled past Hagrid's hut.

"Is that so? Are you referring to Severus and I?" Eileen asked curiously.

"I am merely making an observation...but might I suggest something?" Lupin seemed rather casual about his nosing into her business but she let him continue out of interest.

"If you wish to, sir." She pretended to be ignoring him while listening closely all the while.

"Professor Snape is...quite difficult to persuade, as I've learned over the years from knowing him. Sometimes you need to prove to him that he won't suffer anything if he does decide to change his mind, make it so that nothing bad could occur. Only then will he be willing to listen to you and possibly take your side on the issue. Am I making any sense?" Lupin asked innocently.

"So you're saying that Severus likes to play it safe." Eileen cocked an eyebrow.

"In a manner of speaking..." Lupin watched a bird flit by gleefully.

"But how would one go about convincing such a cautious man that he'd do well to listen to what you have to say?"

"Oh...possibly make it so that the reason for his hesitation...disappears?"

"How can one make a rumor just...vanish?"

"Typically an equally juicy or insane rumor does the trick, something that would take their minds off the current hot topic. I would generally suggest waiting a few days after said new rumor is in place to make your move, gives everyone time to forget."

"That is very wise and cunning advice, professor Lupin."

"Thank you, at least my advice will be put to good use by somebody...not that I'm suggesting that you use it in the case of professor Snape, I wouldn't want to interfere with matters that don't concern me."

"Of course not..."

"Indeed."

They glanced at each other and exchanged smiles before stopping short of the whomping willow. With a sigh, Eileen stared at it and said, "So I suppose I'm going to become good friends with this tree while I'm at school?"

"Probably not, it's not a happy plant in general...you know they planted that tree for me? It was put here when they made the shack, so as to conceal the tunnel leading to it." Lupin mused before pointing at the trunk, "See that knot there right at the base of the roots?"

"Yes..." She said, looking at it curiously.

"If you press it, the tree stops moving long enough to let you enter the tunnel. You'll get used to dodging around the branches, unless you're not feeling well at the time..." He smiled wearily, obviously feeling this way right now.

"Perhaps you should go then...I'll join you later." She tried to throw him off her trail but he caught on and said, "I'm not to leave your side tonight, Dumbledore's orders. We should go now before it gets any darker, you haven't had any potion to keep the effects at bay, you never know when you'll turn."

"But what about dinner?" She frowned and he patted her on the shoulder.

"I'll whip something up, I usually do on such nights..." He smiled and they started for the tree. Eileen skillfully dodged to the knot and pressed it, letting Lupin catch up and lead the way into the underground tunnel.

They walked in silence until they reached the hatch door, Lupin lifting it and climbing up to help her into the room. Getting a good look at the place for the first time, she said, "It's...homey."

"Yes, I decorated it myself." Lupin said sarcastically, walking into another room with Eileen close behind taking in her surroundings. He repaired a table by an unlit fireplace and brought two chairs up to it, plopping into it heavily before setting the fire ablaze.

Eileen sat across from him and watched as he waved his wand about, bringing food into being without much effort.

He offered her a bowl of steaming vegetable soup and poured her a cup of pumpkin juice, saying, "Eat it while it's warm, it's going to be a cold night, I think."

"Yes, sir..." Eileen muttered dully, taking a taste of the soup and finding it quite palatable. He watched her for a moment, eating his own soup as he did so, before she noticed and said, "Yes?"

"Nothing...just wondering..." He said vaguely.

"About what?" Blinking curiously, she took a sip of the juice to wash down her meal.

"When you'll change. I doubt we'll do it at the same time so I wanted to make sure I didn't go first and end up hurting you again." He said in concern.

"I'll be able to defend myself if you change, sir, I wasn't prepared the first time." Eileen assured him.

"Are you sure? You can choose to hide in one of the rooms upstairs until it's over..."

"I'd rather stay with you, if that's alright." Eileen muttered, slowly finishing her soup.

Looking surprised, Lupin asked, "Why?"

"Why not?" She stared at him blankly as he looked down at his meal and looked embarrassed, saying quietly, "You don't want to be with me when I change, believe me..."

"I'm with you when you're human and don't mind, except when you follow me around everywhere." Eileen pointed out.

"I was just - "

"Doing your job, I know." Eileen waved him off, placing her spoon in her empty bowl and cleaning it with magic.

"No..." He took her dishes and said, "I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"Why not?" He smiled softly, "I remember how I felt the first time I changed, I was scared that everyone would hate me and stay away. I wanted to make sure you felt like you weren't alone, like I was when I was your age."

"But you weren't alone, you had your friends...you've talked about them." Eileen frowned.

"Yes...but at the time I didn't feel like I could really depend on them to help me through the hard times, they were my age, after all. The only encouragement I had was from Dumbledore, he understood what they could not. I just wanted to pass on the support, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time..." He stood and crossed the room, gazing out the partially boarded up window at a darkening and gloomy world, the scene reflecting what lie inside his own heart.

Eileen seemed to understand where he was coming from and rose from her chair, walking across the room to stand next to him, looking up at his withered youth with fondness. He gazed down at her and she said, "Thank you...for caring."

With a gentle smile, he said, "It's the least I could do, Eileen."

"So...now what do we do?" Eileen asked, rocking idly on her heels with her hands clasped in front of her.

"It's almost time." Lupin said grimly, staring up at the sky through the broken boards. He turned to Eileen as he removed his robe, saying, "The sad part about being a werewolf is you ruin so many pairs of clothing." Draping it over the chair, he loosened the buttons around his collar and removed his shoes, motioning for her to do the same.

When she hesitated, he said, "Eileen, I'm not asking you to take off all your clothes."

"It's not that, I...I don't think I'll change." She whispered in deep thought.

"No? Why do you say that?" Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"Because I don't want to." Eileen reasoned.

Letting out a little sigh, Lupin said, "Do you think I enjoy changing into a monstrous creature every full moon? I would rather stare at it with human eyes under my own complete sanity."

"Why don't we do that then?" Eileen sounded eager and Lupin gave her a pitying smile.

"It doesn't work that way, Eileen." Lupin whispered.

"It will this time, just hold my hand." Eileen walked over to him and held out her hand, waiting patiently for him to accept it.

Shaking his head, he replied, "I can't, I'll hurt you."

"Not if we hold hands, professor." Eileen looked almost pleading like she didn't want to see him transform again, raising her hand further as she stared into his eyes.

Finally, he took it grudgingly and said, "Now what?"

"Now we wait until it's over." She smiled.

"So were going to hold hands until dawn?"

"If you don't mind, I don't." Eileen looked quite content and Lupin found this very strange, almost unnerving. She pulled him to the front door and magically unlocked it, letting it swing open as she said, "Let's go look at the moon."

"Eileen, we can't!" Lupin protested, not moving another inch.

"Trust me." Eileen whispered back to him, her blue eyes looking like diamonds in the moonlight. There was something mystical about the way the pale light fell on her, causing every precaution to be thrown to the wind as Lupin let her lead him out into the yard.

Together, they stared up at the fully bloated moon in all its glory, dazzled by its sheer mass.

"Scintillating, isn't it?" Eileen asked as she watched him stare at it in awed silence.

Suddenly, his knees buckled and he collapsed to an unwarranted sitting position, a small moan of disbelief escaping his lips. Kneeling next to him, she squeezed his hand and said, "Sir, are you alright?"

"I...I'm not..changing." He barely choked out in his shock.

"Of course not, I don't want you to." Eileen sounded like she thought he was being silly but he stared at her in astonishment.

"Am I...healed?" He asked weakly.

"No, neither am I but I chose not to let it effect me."

"That's impossible!" Lupin gasped.

"I've been hearing that all my life, sir. But believe me, it is real. As long as were touching, you'll stay human."

He still looked like he couldn't fathom it but let the ruse continue out of his own selfish desire for normality, holding her hand like it meant life or death. They sat in silence for a while before Eileen's head began to nod.

Blinking sleepily, she looked up at Lupin and said, "How much longer?"

"Dawn comes in 7 hours, a bit too long for you, I'm afraid. Lets go back inside and warm up, shall we?" Helping her to her feet, they returned to the shack and closed the door, blocking the cold breeze and letting the meager fire fill the living room with warmth. She wandered over to the fire and pulled Lupin down next to her, watching the flames dance merrily on the logs. Her body gave an involuntary shiver and Lupin looked worried, reaching up and tugging his robe off the chair. With a swift swirl of fabric, he draped it over her and said, "You're going to catch a cold with such thin clothes, especially so close to winter. Say...where did you get that scarf?"

"Oh...this?" Eileen touched it lovingly and said, "Why do you ask?"

"I remember Snape used to wear the same kind when he was in school...James was always ragging on him about it cause he thought he never washed it."

"Severus had this since school?" Eileen's eyes widened, looking at it with more respect than ever before.

"So it is his old scarf. Some of us figured he got it from one of his parents, most likely his mother since he never mentioned his father." Lupin looked amazed that Snape would part with it.

"He...spoke of his mother?" Eileen stared at him curiously, fully awake now.

"Not very much, I heard him mention her a few times but it was very rare. I do remember one Christmas where I caught him out on the grounds at night by the lake, he was setting a candle in a little paper boat and sending it across the lake. I heard him mutter something in regards to his mother before getting up and catching me watching him, he wasn't too happy but I promised I wouldn't tell the others. I guess he trusted me, not that he had much choice...I never did mention it. In fact, I'd forgotten until now but that scarf made me think about it." Lupin smiled.

"It must have been his mother's...but why would he ever give it away? Something so valuable..." Eileen looked awestruck.

"I don't know...perhaps you should ask him sometime."

"Sometime..." She whispered. Yawning, she leaned over onto Lupin's arm and he looked uneasy for a minute, apparently not used to people touching him so much.

Nervously, he looped his arm over her head and around her shoulder, still holding onto her hand securely as he pulled her close.

Sleepily, she curled up beside him using his leg as a pillow and whispered before dosing off, "You're not a bad guy, after all...no matter what Severus says."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Eight

Dawn seemed to come sooner than Eileen had expected, finding the fire smoldering in dim red embers. Looking up, she found Lupin dozing in a sitting position, having pulled the chair closer so he could lean on it, not wishing to wake her. With a smile, she let go of his hand and crawled out from under his arm, pulling his robe off and draping it over him delicately before tiptoeing to the window and looking out at the early morning.

Birds twittered eagerly outside, foraging and socializing with others, all waking the world to this marvelous Saturday to begin their celebration of Halloween. The town below was preparing for the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, stocking their shelves for when the Hogwarts students came shopping. Wishing she too could join them but knowing she couldn't possibly without permission from a parent or guardian which was never going to happen, obviously, she satisfied herself with the glimpses she had gotten of it the year before.

"Eileen?" Lupin said groggily, rubbing his eyes and looking around the room before spotting her by the window.

"It must be nice...being able to do everything without worrying whether you'll get permission to." Eileen whispered, staring longingly out the window, her tiny hand clinging to the edge of a board.

"What are you looking at?" Lupin got to his feet, flinging the robe over his shoulders lazily and strolling across the room to stand next to her, stretching as he walked.

"Hogsmeade, I'll never be able to go..." Eileen sighed, her eyes fixed on the chimneys puffing away in the distance.

"Why not?" Lupin asked curiously, looking down at her sad expression.

"I don't have any guardians to give me permission...I'm alone."

"You live at an orphanage?"

"No, I live in a flat with my kneazle, Mephi. My mother died a year before I started at Hogwarts and my father wasn't granted custody, my mother made sure of that." Eileen explained quietly.

"Surely you should have some sort of guardian?" Lupin looked concerned.

She merely shrugged, staring blankly out the window.

"How can you afford tuition and supplies?"

"Mother saved enough money to allow me to get through school, I just sell the books that I don't require anymore so I have enough money to buy the books that I do need." Eileen said thoughtfully.

"So...you truly are alone..." Lupin frowned.

"Yes...truly..." She drifted away from the window, crossing the room aimlessly in a trance.

Lupin gazed after her in pity before following her and saying, "You're too young to have to survive on your own, Eileen. Perhaps Dumbledore can arrange something so that you can be placed with a good family."

"No, I don't want to start over again, to be misunderstood by another family and become the black sheep...I'd rather fly free like the white dove in the sky." Eileen said mistily, her gaze drifting to the ceiling.

"Maybe if...someone who did understand adopted you or at least warranted guardian status over you?" Lupin sounded like he was going somewhere with his suggestions and she turned to him curiously, saying, "What are you saying, sir?"

"I'm saying...Eileen, you need someone to look after you." Lupin danced around the answer.

"If you're trying to ask, I don't want you to be my guardian." Eileen said shortly and he frowned in confusion, "You're enough of an outcast as it is without having me to drag you down. Plus, you barely keep yourself fed and clothed, you don't need to worry about a child as well."

"Eileen..." Lupin tried to reason with her but she waved him off.

"No, I've made my choice. You're a very nice man, professor, and I'm grateful that you would even consider it, I really am, it means a lot to me." Eileen gave him an appreciative smile and he let out a resigned sigh.

"I suppose I can't change your mind..."

"No, sir. But thank you for your concern."

"Are you completely opposed to a guardian? Perhaps...if I found someone else..." He asked curiously.

"You're not going to drop this subject, are you?" She looked at him and he smiled.

"Not likely, I know what it's like to be without parents at your age. My parents were murdered by the same werewolf that gave me this curse, I think he found it amusing to let me live, as a sort of punishment to my fathers offensive remarks to him. I lived with my grandparents for a while but they became rather stressed over keeping my secret, constantly having to hurry me off to some caves behind their house to keep the town safe from the full moons effects. I decided to live on my own in my 3rd year, though they still supported me when they could; I mostly took care of myself. I went from job to job, working for random businesses until they found out I was a werewolf. No one wanted to risk being associated with such an abomination so I often had to move from town to town hoping my secret hadn't been rumored far. But that's another story for another time, I think I've gotten carried away."

"Oh no, I don't mind. You're a wonderful storyteller, sir." Eileen smiled, having been hanging on his every word.

"I suppose I'm glad my life story's worth something to someone, though admittedly few know of my past. I'd appreciate it if you didn't share my story with anyone else, especially Severus. He'd have a field day with it, I'm afraid..." Lupin sighed.

"As long as you don't tell him were friends." She smirked and he returned the grin with a chuckle, "Of course."

Glancing out the window, Lupin said, "Well, it's quite late enough into the morning, we should return to school before people begin to wonder where you were all night."

"No one notices me, I can stay away all day and no one will have known. I'll wait until after breakfast to sneak back into the dorm, everyone will have gone to Hogsmeade by then."

"That's reasonable. Would you like to join me later, for tea perhaps?" Lupin offered as he pulled his shoes back on and fixed his collar.

"I think it best we don't spend too much time together, it'll become obvious to Severus that more is going on than keeping an eye on my condition."

"You know, James used to call it my furry little problem, he always did have a way of making me forget about my issues..." Lupin chuckled, the fond memories of his friends brightening his mood a little. He gave her a kind smile before saying, "Care to continue the tradition?"

"Why not, it's always fun to have inside jokes, as Mischief and Mayhem would say." Eileen grinned, following Lupin out of the room and into the next where the trap door was.

Lupin lifted it and let her go first before jumping down and leading the way back to the school.

As they strolled along, Eileen looked out at the forest curiously like she felt they were being watched, the feeling not going away after a few minutes.

"What is it, Eileen?" Lupin asked, noticing her staring off into the distance.

"Nothing..." She muttered before saying, "I think it would be best if we didn't enter the school together, you go on ahead and I'll lull around the green houses for a few minutes."

"Good idea, I'll see you inside then. Keep an eye out for dementors, they're still around the school." Lupin cautioned her before setting off up the grounds to the school.

She waited for him to be out of sight before dashing over to the edge of the forest and searching around for any animals or people lurking there.

"Come out, I know you're there...I promise I won't hurt you if you show yourself, unless you're Malfoy then I will hurt you!" Eileen hissed as she rustled around the brush.

Finally, a large black dog stuck its nose out and sniffed her curiously, its gray eyes shining through its dark fur like sharp knives.

Something about this dog made her heart race and she wasn't sure at first why, but she said, "Well hello there, boy. Are you friendly?"

The dog panted as if to smile at her and she smiled back, crouching and offering her hand for him to sniff. After giving her a thorough search, he let her pet him as she said, "I didn't know dogs lived in the forbidden forest. You look starved, there should be plenty of little critters in there for you to eat."

He blinked and nuzzled her hand again to get her to pet him more, she obliged with a giggle.

"You know...you should come inside the school, I'm sure I can get Dumbledore to feed you. He seems to like taking in lost creatures" She sighed.

The dog whined a little and she frowned, saying, "What's wrong? You don't want me to tell Dumbledore about you?"

He wagged his tail in affirmation. Scratching under his chin, she said wistfully, "You know...a big dog like you could probably cause enough of a disturbance at school to make the rumors go away. But you'd probably get caught, I wouldn't want you getting in trouble because of me."

The dog panted again and wagged his tail as if to reassure her he'd be fine.

"Maybe if you tried to get into one of the dorms...but which one...Slytherin's full of gossips but that's my house and they'll try to pin it on me somehow."

The dog growled and she looked at him curiously, "What, you don't like them?"

The dog sniffed loudly.

"Me neither, they're always picking on me. Perhaps if you attacked the latter, the Gryffindors...they're just as bad at gossiping and more likely to be noticed."

The dog panted happily.

"You like that idea? Well, you should try to get in there, the fat lady might let a dog into the dorm room if he was a nice doggy like you." She itched a good spot behind his ear and he moaned happily. Musing, she muttered, "I wish I could get in there again, I tried to sneak in last week but the password changed. I think Mischief said it was 'Hinkypunk' now but I haven't tried."

The dog licked her face gratefully and she giggled, saying, "You're welcome, I guess? I should get going; it was nice meeting you, Mr. Doggy. Don't get caught, okay?"

He let out a little bark before disappearing back into the foliage, leaving her to hurry up to the school and into the dorm.

The room was deserted, most likely everyone was out at Hogsmeade or wandering around the school in their gangs. She went up to her room and was greeted by Mephistopheles as he wound around her legs eagerly and meowed loudly, hopping onto the bed as she sat down and pet him lovingly.

"I know, I've been out all night, I bet you were worried about me! I'm just fine, see?" She cuddled him before setting him back on the bed and getting up. Opening her trunk, she pulled out a fresh pair of clothes and changed into them before heading toward the door. She felt something snag on her robes and looked down to see Mephistopheles clinging to the hem, looking desperate. Bending down, she pet him and said, "Do you want to get some fresh air? I suppose they won't mind, you're pretty well behaved when I'm around. Come on, on my shoulder."

Without hesitating, the kneazle leapt onto her shoulder and settled himself before she headed out the door and down the stairs, leaving the Slytherin dorm to wander the school aimlessly. Along her travels, she noticed Lucas looking around nervously while staring at a piece of paper. She approached him and said, "Are you lost, Lucas?"

"Oh, Eileen! I was actually looking for Professor Snape's office, I have to deliver a message to him from the headmaster." Lucas looked extremely honored and yet feeling down cause he lost his way.

"Follow me, I'll show you the way. He's most likely busy working on a potion so just tell him the letter is from Dumbledore and leave, he gets testy if people beat around the bush." Eileen explained, leading the way back toward the dungeons.

Lucas eyed Mephistopheles curiously, having his curiosity returned by the cat before he said, "Is that a...kneazle?"

"Yes, his name is Mephistopheles, but I call him Mephi." Eileen said blankly, her mind on other things.

"Mephistopheles? As in Greek for 'Not a Lover of Light', also known in 16th Century folklore as the minion of the Devil?" Lucas rambled excitedly and Eileen stared at him in surprise.

"Um...I guess?" Eileen blinked.

"Sorry, I love Muggle folklore, it's so fascinating! I particularly love Greek myths, it's all very interesting to me." Lucas said cheerfully.

With a smile, Eileen said, "Mephi has been in my mother's family for a while, I suppose whoever owned him first named him. Mother said that my great grandfather was fond of Muggle history, perhaps he was originally his."

"That's cool, I have a barn owl that I named Alectryon because he hoots in the morning. Alectryon in Greek mythology was a young boy who was to guard the doorstep of Aries but he fell asleep and Helios the sun god came and caught Aries with Aphrodite. So Aries turned Alectryon into a rooster so he would always warn the coming of the sun." Lucas explained methodically.

"You know a lot about Greek mythology, do you take Muggle studies?" Eileen asked curiously.

"Yes, it's my best class." Lucas said happily.

"I guessed as much...here we are." Eileen announced, coming to a stop in front of a closed door. Lucas looked a little nervous as Eileen knocked on the door.

"I'm busy, go away!" Snape barked from the other side of the door.

Eileen elbowed Lucas and raised her eyebrows as if telling him to speak.

"I...I have a message for you, f-from the headmaster." Lucas squeaked, forgetting to clear his throat first.

There was a bit of scuffling before the doorknob clicked and the door swung open sharply, revealing Snape's scowling face as he said, "What is - " He stopped upon seeing Eileen and stared at her in surprise, having thought she was permanently ignoring him.

Lucas noticed the tension and blinked curiously before Eileen said, her eyes on Snape, "Mr. Beowulf has a message for you."

"Oh, yeah, message..." Lucas snapped out of his trance and handed the roll of parchment to Snape who was still fixed on Eileen.

"You might wish to take the parchment, sir." Eileen said simply.

Glancing down at the outstretched hand, he took the paper and gave Lucas a sideways glare before saying, "You may go now..."

"Yes, sir, good day!" Lucas said before hurrying off down the hall, giving Eileen a weak smile and thumbs up before disappearing up the stairs.

Eileen turned to go when Snape said, "Did you change?"

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Eileen turned back curiously.

"There was a full moon last night." He stated in his normal cold tone.

"No, sir, I didn't feel like it." She answered plainly.

"You didn't...feel like it?" Snape cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"No, sir...I don't require the Wolfsbane potion either but professor Lupin still does. He's back in his office, he'll most likely spend the rest of the day there." She explained.

"Then perhaps you can deliver his dose for the day, since you seem to be so close to him now." Snape sounded resentful when he said this and her expression saddened.

"I regretfully admit that I am once more alone in the world, professor Lupin is no closer to me than any other teacher in this school...good day, sir." She said quietly before turning and walking away, taking the stairs at a painstakingly slow pace, her kneazle gazing at him curiously as Snape watched her leave, his hand subconsciously crushing Dumbledore's letter.

OoOoOoOo

The day passed quickly, most of the students returning some time before dinner to share their treasures from Hogsmeade. Fred and George took it upon themselves to set off a fireworks display in the hallway outside the great hall, strays zooming around the halls ceiling before flickering out. A wonderful orchestral number preceded the Halloween feast, a small choir of children singing folk songs as professor Flitwick directed them. The actual meal was quite luscious, a great range of delicacies filling the bellies of the hungry students. A brief bout of conversation was had by all before they started back toward the dorms, the twins dragging Eileen between them as they chattered.

"So then Fred dropped a dung bomb in the toilet and the whole place smelled like it had backed up, it was great. You should have seen Neville, he looked like he was gonna hurl!" George said cheerfully, recalling an event earlier that day.

"Speaking of which..." Fred mumbled as they approached a backup on the stairs, "Oi, did Neville forget the password again?"

"I'm right here." Neville grumbled, standing just feet from him with a dirty look on his face, still a little off-color from the incident.

"Sorry, mate, force of habit." Fred apologized, clapping him on the back.

"What's the hold up then?" George said, trying to see over the crowd. Ahead of them, Percy was arguing with a group of students before Dumbledore came up the stairs and wove through the parting crowd. A brief glimpse of the painting was had, revealing vicious looking slash marks on the canvas.

Eileen let out a little gasp before Fred looked at her curiously, her kneazle growling under its breath as it glared in the direction of the portrait.

"Sirius Black is here?" One of the students at the front of the line said, an echo of the name filtering down the crowd as shrieks of fear rang out, starting a small uproar before Dumbledore motioned for silence.

"Everyone remain calm and return to the great hall at once, we will be having a little sleepover tonight!" Dumbledore said, trying to keep the crowd from panicking as they turned and headed back down the stairs toward the hall they normally dined in.

"Sirius Black's here? At Hogwarts? No way, he couldn't possibly get past the dementors!" Fred said confidently, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

Eileen on the other hand had a sinking feeling about the dog she had spoken to earlier; somehow she knew that it had understood her all too well. "Where there's a will, there's a way, Mischief." Eileen said quietly, her heart sinking as she realized what she'd done. She had practically handed over an entire dorm full of children to a murderous madman in exchange for the satisfaction of winning Snape back, risking the lives of many for the end of a simple rumor.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Eileen lay curled up in a sleeping bag between Fred and George, staring vacantly across the room at the ghosts floating aimlessly around as guards, feeling sick to her stomach at what had happened.

Fred was watching her closely for a while before he poked her and hissed, "What's wrong, you gonna puke?"

"This is all my fault." Eileen whispered back.

"Dove, you need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. It's not like you can stop his attacks, that's the dementors' job." Fred replied quietly.

But suddenly, a thought popped into Eileen's head and she said, "Brilliant! I'll be back in an hour, cover for me!"

"Wha? Wait, what are you going to - " Fred began to protest when before his very eyes, she vanished. His eyes widening, he heard her voice whisper, "Anyone looking this way?"

"Um..." He gave a quick look around before saying, "No."

"Good, see you soon. Stay here, Mephi." Out from the sleeping bag crawled a curious looking white kneazle, the same uneven blue eyes as Eileen with a sharp, animalistic glint in them. Mephistopheles purred at her softly before she bounded off between the sleeping bags, hiding in patches of moonlight when a ghost would float her direction. Fred watched in stunned silence as she slipped past Percy and took off down the corridor, heading in the direction of the courtyard. Quietly and with the skill of a real kneazle, she leapt onto a window ledge and out into the night air, tearing across the crisp lawn at great speeds. Within minutes, she had escaped the closure of the castle and was at the fringe of the forbidden forest where she had met the black dog the night before.

Sniffing carefully, she found his scent and started off to hunt him down, his trail leading her off across the grounds toward the whomping willow. The scent led right up to the trunk and down into the hole underneath so she nimbly avoided getting slaughtered by the tree and dove into the passageway. Stealthily, she bounded down the corridor and came to a stop under the trapdoor. Transforming back into her human form long enough to force the door open and crawl quietly into the room, she changed back into a kneazle and carefully scouted out the scent again before moving any further.

The trail lead upstairs into a shabby bedroom where she found the very black dog she had spoken to before lying asleep on a four poster bed. His ears perked as his nose caught her scent and his head raised curiously, staring at her glowing aura in the dim light. A low growl escaped his throat as his eyes locked onto her hungrily and he looked ready to attack when she hissed, "Don't even think about it, Black!"

The dog blinked inquisitively as if he had no clue what she was talking about.

Transforming back into her human form, she said, "A dog might be smart enough to infiltrate Hogwarts but not to find a secret passageway and open a trapdoor, now reveal yourself or I will!"

Obligingly, he returned to human form and stared at her in amusement, his skeletal appearance not frightening her as he said, "You're not secretly an Auror, are you?"

"No, just smart enough to know better. I knew you weren't a normal dog but I didn't imagine you were Sirius Black. How have you gotten around the dementors?" She asked, eyeing him intensely.

"They can't sense animal emotions as well as humans so it was easy...say, you don't look like you could be much older than 12, how can you assume an Animagus form? And talk too, I thought that was impossible."

"I can do a lot of things I'm not suppose to...why did you attack the fat lady?" Eileen narrowed her eyes at him curiously.

"Your password didn't work and she got cheeky with me." He smirked, relaxing on the bed as he let her interrogate him.

"They'll most likely change the passwords more often now, they're searching the castle for you as we speak. Dumbledore's not too happy about you slashing the painting."

"He'll get over it, he's a good chap."

"Why are you here?" She asked, crouching on the floor as if she were still in her Animagus form.

"Isn't that my business?"

"You threatened the lives of my friends."

"You suggested it." He grinned slyly and she frowned; he had a good point.

"Well...I never said to attack anyone!" Eileen pointed out.

"True but you'll have to excuse me, 12 years in a prison causes a person to become irrational at times."

"12 years? What did you do?" Eileen blinked innocently.

"Nothing. Haven't you heard the rumors?"

"I don't believe in rumors, I've had enough of my own to know better than to believe the word of a child."

"Is that so..." He raised his eyebrows, leaning forward to get a better look at her, "I smelled werewolf on you last night, why is that?"

"I am a werewolf, same as professor Lupin. He...attacked me on accident." She said sadly.

"Lupin attacked a child? I don't believe it...you had to have caught him during the full moon for him to have - " He frowned but she looked at him guiltily and he raised his head, "Ah...curiosity killed the cat?"

"Something like that." She muttered, "You must be one of his friends, he's spoken of a band of misfits he used to hang out with in school but only named one. I can understand why, I wouldn't want rumors to get around about me if my friend was an ex-convict. You don't seem that bad though..."

"I'll take that as a compliment, most people would have screamed if they saw me. Something about a group of Muggles dying by my hands embeds fear in the minds of the public."

"But you said you didn't do anything." She frowned.

"I did, didn't I?" He said lazily, rolling over onto his side in exhaustion while keeping a close eye on her.

She took in his appearance and said, "You look hungry."

"I was going to eat you but I don't fancy eating children." He sighed.

"I can get you some food, if you want." She offered.

"Why would you help me? And how do I know you'd even go to get food and not tell them where I am?"

"Obviously I'd be in trouble for even being out here, besides...I tend to like the misunderstood crowd, being a part of it myself."

"No kidding...I am rather hungry and I suppose if Moony trusts you, I can."

"Moony?" Eileen looked confused.

Letting out a bark-like laugh, Sirius said, "An old nickname from school, we all had them. Mine was Padfoot so if you ever do get to talk to Remus, just use that name and he'll understand."

"I see...well, I best hurry, I told Mischief I'd only be gone an hour."

"Got your own little group of Marauders?" He grinned and she smiled, saying, "Something like that...please don't go anywhere, Padfoot."

"Don't worry, that little excursion wore me out..." He sighed, laying on his back in exhaustion. Eileen quickly transformed back into her kneazle form and ran back to the castle, checking on the great hall to make sure everyone was still sleeping there before heading down into the dungeon. She came to a stop in front of a tapestry covered in fruit and returned to her human form, tickling a pear that giggled shrilly and allowed her to pass into a grand kitchen.

Little elves everywhere were hurrying about washing dishes and doing laundry, stopping suddenly upon seeing her enter. A small and round elf came over and said in a squeaky voice, "May I help you, miss?"

"Yes, can I have a chicken to go?" She smiled hopefully and another elf rushed over and offered her a cooked chicken wrapped in a cloth, bowing low as he raised it to her. Taking it, she said, "Thank you! You're...um...doing a great job, keep it up!"

There was a chorus of bows and "were not worthy of praise!" as she bowed herself out of the room and secured the package in her mouth before transforming again and starting off down the hallway.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow coming around the corridor and darted behind a suit of armor just as Snape came slinking around the corner, his wand unlit as he searched the dungeons in silence. Her cat eyes saw through the darkness to see the displeasure on his face, obviously he wasn't fond of his job or something else was bothering him but now wasn't the time to express her concern. Waiting for him to pass, she crept out of hiding and bounded up the stairs into the open hallway outside the dining room/camp grounds, dashing quickly toward a nearby window and breaking out into the night again.

Returning to the shack, she found Sirius still lying on the bed but in dog form again, most likely as a precaution in case he fell asleep and a dementor passed his way.

He opened his eyes upon smelling the chicken and whined hungrily as she leapt up onto the bed and dropped the package, pawing the cloth away and saying, "It's all I could carry."

He gave her a grateful lick on the face before ripping into the fowl, crunching right through the bones as if he wasn't aware of them. Wolfing down the meal in mere minutes, he began to clean his face as she hissed, "I can bring more if you like."

He shook his head and let out a little whine before laying his head down on the bed wearily.

"Then be careful and good luck to you, sir." She whispered, leaping off the bed and bounding across the room, returning shortly to the castle and the warmth of her sleeping bag. Becoming human again, she peeked her head out to make sure no one had seen her before hissing to Fred who was watching one of the ghosts closely while feigning sleep.

"What did you find out?" He whispered back.

"Nothing, but it is fun running around Hogwarts unnoticed for once." She lied.

"I should learn how to do that, it'd be really helpful." Fred grinned.

George was snoring loudly next to her and Fred reached across to jab him with his finger, causing him to roll over and glare at him sleepily.

"Meh." George mumbled incoherently.

"Eileen's an Animagus!" Fred hissed excitedly.

"Eh?" He mumbled again, sitting up a little.

"Keep your voices down, Sir Nicolas is coming!" Eileen hissed at both of them and they feigned sleep again until he'd passed by, returning to their hushed conversation when it was safe.

"So what do you turn into?" George asked, finally awake again.

"A pure white kneazle, extremely cute." Fred said with a grin as Eileen blushed.

"Aww, why didn't you wake me? You'll have to show us later!" George grumbled.

"Yeah, after school tomorrow!" Fred said eagerly.

"I don't know..." She moaned cautiously.

"We won't tell anyone, twins' honor!"

"Yeah, honor..." George yawned.

"Okay...I guess so..." Eileen gave in and they beamed happily before seeing Dumbledore enter the room followed by Snape. They were conversing in whispers until they stopped some feet from them, looking down at a huddle of students presumably sound asleep. Eileen watched Snape closely, he had a look of concern on his face but she knew it was only a mask, inside he was brooding over matters of his own concern and plotting something that not even she knew of. Before she could close her eyes, he glanced in her direction and caught her gaze.

Dismissing himself, Dumbledore and he parted ways and he strolled over to her, glancing over his shoulder before kneeling next to her and whispering, "I want to speak with you in the morning, after school ends, do you hear me?"

She nodded and he stood, whipping about and stalking out of the room with a cloud of frustration looming over him.

"I guess we'll have to delay our fun now, huh?" Fred whispered to her after it was safe to speak again.

But she didn't respond, she didn't know what to say in all honesty.

OoOoOoOo

The search ended around 3 AM in the morning and the students were allowed to return to their dorms for the remainder of the night, the heads of houses standing guard over the common rooms to make sure all stayed quiet and safe.

Eileen woke in the morning to find half of the students already in the common room gossiping about the previous nights events. She managed to slip out unnoticed and hurried off to class, making it through the day quickly and dawdling after her last class as she made her way to Snape's office. Knocking lightly, she hoped he wouldn't be in but his voice rung out loud and clear to enter.

"I'm here as you requested, sir." Eileen said as she walked in and shut the door behind her.

"When were you going to tell me you were an Animagus, Miss Pierce?" Snape got to the point fast and she was caught off guard, stuttering, "W-what do you - "

"I saw you in the dungeon, I know it was you. Mephistopheles is golden yellow, not white, and as far as I know there aren't any other kneazles in this school save for Miss Granger's mangy half-breed cat. Now are you going to answer my question?" Snape explained calmly but sternly.

"Well...I was hungry..." She replied quietly.

"Don't lie to me, Miss Pierce." He hissed.

"If you saw me then you saw that I had a chicken in my mouth, why would I be carrying a chicken if I wasn't hungry?" She reasoned.

"Perhaps it was for someone else." He suggested, eyeing her suspiciously.

"So now you're accusing me of things? I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything different, you're just my teacher, after all." She looked away at a shelf of bottles.

"Don't..." Snape growled, his fists clenching on the desk.

"Don't what, sir." She asked, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Listen to me, Eileen, you don't know what you're doing. If you know where Black is, you need to tell someone! You need to tell me!" He barked, his hand gesturing toward himself.

"I thought you didn't want me to speak to you again unless it was school-related, as in homework...not a crazed lunatic running loose." Eileen looked him in the eyes daringly and he sneered, turning away and saying, "You're changing the subject!"

"I thought we were talking about my being an Animagus, not Sirius Black." Eileen raised her eyebrows, catching him at his own game.

"Don't be snide with me! Where is he!" Snape whirled around and glared at her.

"You haven't changed..." She muttered spitefully.

"What?" Snape blinked.

"After everything that's happened, one little misunderstanding occurs and were back to square one again? Are you going to start hitting me if I don't answer you?" She frowned hurtfully, feeling betrayed by his attitude.

He stared at her in disbelief before saying wistfully, "Eileen..."

"Writing me letters all summer, helping to protect me from my father, promising to help me with my magic...did you even mean any of it? Or was that all a delusion of my pitiful desire for someone to care for me? I understand if you've changed your mind, I mean, I wouldn't want to be associated with a freak turned werewolf, that's too much to handle. You don't have to avoid it, just tell me the truth, I can take it, I've heard worse..." She whispered the last sentence, her heart sinking as she spoke the words and wished she hadn't.

The expression on Snape's face was indescribable; he stared in silence as the realization hit him of how much pain he'd put her through, whispering in a strained voice, "Do you know how it makes me feel to push you away? Do you?"

She shook her head, blinking back the tears in her eyes in an attempt to remain calm.

"Inches away from my grasp, begging for me to accept you again, to hold you, comfort you...do you know what goes on inside my head?" He asked, stepping around his desk slowly as each word escaped his tight lips.

Staring at him, she whispered, "Nothing?"

"You're wrong." He hissed harshly, gripping the edge of the desk tensely, "Every time I refuse to give you the attention that you so crave, a little piece of me dies. There's not much left inside my black heart to wither away but somehow...it manages. It is rare for me to ever regret anything I do but in this case...you may think you're the only one suffering but you are sorely mistaken, Miss Pierce."

"Then...why?" She whispered breathlessly, staring at him with watery eyes.

Unable to meet her gaze, he inched around the edge of his desk further, clinging to it desperately as he said, "I didn't want to hurt you anymore, the rumors...it killed me to see you suffering and I didn't want to prolong it. I thought that if I didn't speak to you, if I ignored you...they would go away."

"You...did that for me?" She stared at him blankly before exploding, "I thought you hated me for soiling your reputation! I thought it was all my fault and you never wanted to see me again because of it!"

"No, that's not it" He muttered awkwardly.

"Professor...Severus," Eileen softened her voice, "A wise man once told me, 'Sometimes it's not always best to run away from your problems. In some cases, one should stand and fight instead of leaving the issue unresolved'."

"Is that so? Obviously he wasn't a very wise man..." Snape grumbled.

"Why do you say that? I think it's a very wise thing to say, it honestly doesn't solve anything to run away all the time and never confront your problems, people end up making assumptions and hating each other. I don't want that to happen, do you? Do you want us to hate each other forever?" She asked quietly.

"I could never hate you, Eileen." Snape whispered, his eyes locking onto hers so as to get the point across.

"If you truly care about someone, you won't even pretend to hate them, even if you think it's the best thing to do." She said strongly, stepping toward him.

"But the rumors - " Snape stepped back into the desk, being cornered.

"They're gone, no one cares anymore! All they care about is Sirius Black and why he's here attacking the school. It's over..." She pleaded, her eyes sparkling with tears.

Taking a deep breath, Snape said, "If...you're confident that...nothing will happen..."

"Trust me?" Eileen begged.

With a resigning sigh, he said, "I'm...sorry about how I've been treating you...if...you'll forgive me..."

Wordlessly, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, snuggling into his stomach to hide her tears.

Cautiously, he put his arms around her, looking down with exhaustion and relief in his eyes.

"I love you, Severus." She whispered.

"I..." He hesitated, "I need to give professor Lupin his potion, would you like to come with me?"

"Really? I'd be delighted!" She beamed up at him, completely oblivious to his choke up.

With a sigh, he let her go and walked to a cauldron sitting idle on a table beside his desk, dipping a ladle into the liquid and pouring it into a phial.

Turning, he said, "Let's go, he should be in his office."

"Okay..." She said shyly, following him as he led the way out the door.

They managed to avoid being seen by a lot of students but most of them were too busy talking about the attack to notice them as they passed by. Reaching Lupin's office, Snape opened the door without knocking and looked around curiously, Eileen peeking around his robes with equal curiosity. The room seemed abandoned but shuffling in another section of the room told them that he was merely retrieving some thing before returning to the main room and noticing his visitors.

"Ah, Severus, wonderful timing. And...Miss Pierce, always a pleasure to see you." He tried not to sound too surprised that she was following Snape around and she gave him a smile while Snape wasn't looking.

Crossing the room swiftly, Snape held out the phial and said, "Your potion."

"Thank you, I was feeling a bit unwell. How are you feeling, Miss Pierce?" Lupin asked before taking a sip of the potion with a cringe.

"I feel fine, sir. As I said before, it doesn't effect me." Eileen reminded him.

Snape looked down at her and asked, "How is that possible?"

"Oh, it's amazing, she can block the effects of the moon! She even kept me from transforming last night, I haven't seen the full moon like that in so long..." Lupin said with a sigh of fondness, drinking the potion down like it was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted.

"That's - " Snape stared in surprise and Lupin interrupted with a smirk, "Impossible?"

"How?" He asked Eileen this time and she shrugged, saying, "I just...willed it to happen?"

"There's a lot to this one, Severus, I'd keep a close eye on her. You might even consider helping her hone her skills so she has better control over them, have some confidence in her own abilities." Lupin smiled down to her and she blushed.

"Yes, that would be quite advisable, I think. I'll be sure to not let her out of my sight..." Snape said, glancing down at her before saying, "Well, I have business to take care of, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow it is, farewell." Lupin smiled as they turned and walked across the room to the door. Before they left, Eileen slipped her hand into Snape's and he held it tightly, leading her out of the room as he closed the door behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Ron, Hermione, and Eileen crossed the grounds swiftly, beating the crowds to the Quidditch pitch by at least 5 minutes, excited about the first match of the season. They settled themselves in the first row, right smack in the middle of the field, the best place to be for up-close action next to being on the field itself. Eileen stood on the edge of the railing, hanging over the top in hopes of seeing the players run over last minute plays before the game started. Gryffindor was suppose to be dueling it out with Slytherin but the team had switched places with Hufflepuff last minute, claiming that their seeker was still unable to take part in the game and a replacement was out of the question. Tension was high with the teams, unprepared for their new opponents and holding grudges on the Slytherins for chickening out with so little time to prepare. But this didn't seem to bring down Eileen's mood as she smiled, shouting over the wind, "This is so exciting, I can't wait to see Mischief and Mayhem play!"

"I think it's going to rain." Ron whined, looking up at the sky, reluctant to get soaked with such a fierce wind blowing. Turning around, Eileen said, "Do you have umbrellas in your rooms?"

"Yeah but it's too late to run up there now, the game will start in 10 minutes!"

"I'll get them; _Accio _Ron and Hermione's umbrellas!" Eileen waved her wand and within minutes, their umbrellas flew over the stands and into their hands.

"That's bloody brilliant! What year do we learn that in?" Ron beamed in awe, popping his open.

"It's in the 5th year textbook, late in the lesson." Hermione smiled before Eileen could answer, "Page 372, I believe?"

"Through page 386, it's a long lesson." Eileen grinned back.

"You two are way too smart for your own good." Ron said with an eye roll.

"And you're too lazy for your own good, Ron!" Hermione shot back with a scowl before turning her attention to Eileen; "Don't you have an umbrella, Eileen?"

"We can share!" Ron offered but Eileen declined with a giggle.

"I don't need one, I find magic to be more efficient." Eileen said, gazing out at the field with an almost mystic appeal.

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks of equal confusion as the seats around them filled in with students. A few minutes later, cheers roared in the pitch as the teams took the field, doing a few laps before taking position and waiting for the referee to release the balls.

The game was underway before anyone knew it and the rain poured over the stands with growing aggression. Eileen leaned over the rail excitedly; her eyes locked onto Fred and George as they zipped up and down the field whacking Bludgers fiercely in aggravation.

Ron was staring not at the game but at Eileen as the rain fell all around her but disappeared before hitting her, leaving her perfectly dry as she cheered for Gryffindor.

"How is she doing that?" Ron hissed to Hermione.

"I don't know but Harry's having trouble seeing through the rain, he nearly got knocked off his broomstick that time! I'll be right back." She replied, getting up and making her way through the crowds.

Timeout was called and Eileen took that moment to see who all was at the game. Across the field opposite her, her eyes caught sight of Snape looking bored with the game already. Coyly, she gave a little wave and caught his eye; he looked away immediately. With a sigh, she sunk into her seat next to Ron and muttered, "I should have known better..."

"What?" Ron shouted over the howling wind.

"I hope the weather gets better!" Eileen said, pretending that she was still high on the atmosphere of the game.

"I know, I can barely see what's happening...whoo, it's starting again! GO, HARRY!" Ron screamed, punching the air in triumph.

Hermione returned to her seat as the game continued, carrying on for another half-hour before vision was nearly impossible. The trio huddled together as it grew steadily colder, the rain soaking everyone to the bone as it lashed in all directions on the breeze. Finally, Ron let out a moan as he complained, "This games getting depressing, I feel like crying."

"I'm going to fail my essay tomorrow if I don't get to study soon, I'll never pass that class!" Hermione groaned mournfully, shivering in place.

Curiously, Eileen looked around and noticed how the mood had sunken around the whole stadium like everyone shared the same depression. Cold air, sadness, gloom, it all pointed to one thing. Eileen felt like the world had fallen silent as she rose from her seat, walking to the railing and looking out at the field with slow realization.

There, looming like the darkness within her soul, were hundreds of dementors staring up into the sky. Meeting their line of sight, she saw Harry slip off his broom and plummet to the ground, tumbling in the updraft like a discarded rag doll. Feeling like she was falling herself, anger prickled all over her body before she was swept into darkness, the shouts of the crowd quickly fading away. Barely noticing what had happened, she began to fight to get free of the shroud over her vision and mind.

"Eileen, stop or I'll drop you!" A voice growled in her ear. In the confusion, no one but Hermione and Ron had noticed Snape sweep into their stand and grab Eileen, carrying her out of the stadium under his cloak. Kneeling at the top of the dungeon stairwell, Snape wrapped his arms around her tightly to keep her from breaking free of the confines of his cloak.

"Dementors, Harry - " Eileen stammered, writhing wildly as she began to glow red.

"Potter is fine, Dumbledore caught him and chased the dementors away from the field, everyone is safe now...be still." Snape whispered in a calm voice, still keeping a firm grip on her.

"So...c-cold..." Eileen whimpered, her fury subsiding into its usual sorrow, her body shivering violently. The distraction of the dementors arrival had broken her concentration and the rain had soaked her through, her clothes clinging desperately to her lithe form as her teeth chattered. Holding her close and tenderly, Snape said softly, "I'm going to take you to the hospital wing, Pomfrey can - "

"No...stay...p-please." Eileen clutched at his robes, staring into his eyes pleadingly through the folds in his cloak.

With a grimace, the echoes of students entering the school pushed him to carry her down to his office quickly, quietly entering so that no one heard him. Carefully, he sat her in his desk chair and with a flick of his wand, dried her clothes instantly. Another flick and a fire roared to life within the icy stone hearth nearby and he removed his own cloak, wrapping it around her as he said, "I saw the dementors and remembered what you said about the train, I didn't think you would handle it well. It's good that I got to you when I did."

She stared vacantly at the wall, shaking beneath the folds of the robe, huddled in a ball on the seat looking pathetic.

He straightened, leaning on the desk as he whispered, "Still cold?"

"H-hold me..." Eileen muttered through her quivering lips, slowly looking up at him.

Tensing, he looked away and said, "I shouldn't..."

"P-please?" She begged, reaching a shaky hand out to him.

His fingers gripped the edge of the desk as he grit his teeth, keeping his eyes locked on the fire.

Letting out a tiny cough, Eileen moaned weakly, "I'm...cold..."

"But...I have no right..." Snape hissed, his nails digging into the wood. She whimpered pitifully before he said, "I'm not your father or your guardian, I am your teacher! I...I can't hold you, it's not right, Eileen."

"Then...make it right..." She whispered, "You promised."

"What? That's - that's not possible!" He argued.

"You promised...you'd take care of me..." A single tear rolled down her cheek before he broke. With great stiffness, Snape lifted her up and took her place, holding her securely in his arms as she wiggled free of the cloak and snuggled into his body warmth.

With a sigh, she whispered, "Thank you, father."

"I'm not..." He began to protest but hearing her say that, something about her shivering body in his arms, her tiny hands clutching his clothes, her head on his chest...it all suddenly felt right in his mind.

As they sat in silence, the crackle of the fire resonating off the stone walls, Snape muttered, "Why did you call me...your father?"

"Because, deep down...you've always been my real father, even if mother never married you."

"But..."

"You protected me from my father, something no one else seemed willing to do." Eileen's grasp on his clothes tightened.

"I...Dumbledore thought that you should..." Snape tried to reason around it but he couldn't think of an excuse.

"Plus you gave me your mother's scarf..." Eileen whispered, catching Snape off guard.

"What...are you talking about?" Snape said in an unsettlingly low voice.

"You were very fond of this scarf, it wasn't just a scarf, was it?" Eileen looked up at him and saw how upset he was that she'd mentioned it, quickly saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, it's probably private."

"Who told you this?" Snape asked in a stiff voice.

She shrunk down into the cloak, refusing to answer and hoping he didn't get mad at her, clutching the scarf so he couldn't rip it off her neck in a fit.

With a sniff, he said, "I said it was just a scarf...nothing special about it."

"Are you...sure?" She whispered, uncertain about the way he said it.

Biting his lip, he said, "Yes..."

"You're lying."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I think I just did, yes..."

"Why?"

"Generally people make such assumptions when they think the other person isn't being honest with them, hiding the truth out of fear or self preservation."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then why are you saving face around me? You know I don't care...and I would never tell anyone."

"It's...not that important." Snape glanced across the room at the fireplace, trying not to let his heart pound.

"I could use a good story to keep my mind off the cold..." Eileen muttered, pawing at his sleeve to get his attention.

With a sigh, he muttered, "My life's not that entertaining."

"Says you, tell me about the scarf." She said.

"Is that an order?" He cocked his eyebrow, looking down at her in slight amusement.

"Take it as you will, so long as you tell the story." She sighed, snuggling into his chest again.

Taking a deep breath, Snape said, "If you insist. But that dogs not to know about any of this, do you understand?"

"My lips are sealed." She smiled, closing her eyes and settling in for his story.

"Your sources are correct, I did receive that scarf from my mother, it was the last thing she gave me before I went to school. She knit it herself, she was always good at patching things up and knitting garments, seeing as she did a lot of mending of clothing. Growing boy, you know how it is..." He muttered the last comment and she nodded in accordance. Taking another deep breath before continuing, Snape let out a sigh, "So I've had that scarf for...23 years? It's seen better days but I just fix it when it gets damaged, I suppose that'll be your job now."

"And I'll cherish it in honor of your mother, she was a good woman, no doubt."

"Yes...yes, she was." Snape deeply mumbled, his grip tightening briefly around Eileen.

"Severus..."

"Yes?" He loosened his grip as he looked down at her.

"What was your mother's name?"

"Why...do you ask that?" Snape sounded uncomfortable again and she said, "I've just been wondering, it didn't make sense why you were being nice to me before but now...I think I know why."

"And what is your assumption?" He said nonchalantly.

"Your mother...her name was Eileen, wasn't it?" She stared at him for what seemed like hours before he whispered, "Yes...it was."

"Am I anything like her?" Her eyes sparkled curiously, becoming excited about this new information.

"Not really..." He said, shifting nervously in his chair.

"So you like me for me?" If she had a tail, it would have been wagging right about then and Snape chuckled, to her surprise.

"Perhaps." Snape said, the visualization of her wagging happily amusing him greatly.

"You don't know how happy that makes me feel, Severus." She hugged him and he smiled.

"I think I do..." He whispered, pulling her closer as he felt a chill run down his own spine. Leaning his head back against the headrest, he said quietly, "Perhaps...you should take a nap, you must be tired."

She didn't feel tired but decided to play along, if only to be able to spend some time safe in his arms, far from the dangers and prying eyes of the world.

OoOoOoOo

It seemed like an eternity to Eileen what was only an hour, a sweet blissful hour of silence and tranquility within the darkness of Snape's office. She let out a little yawn as she woke, finding him to be asleep, his normally harsh features softened the way they were at Christmas last year. It brought a smile to her face, seeing him in such a vulnerable state like this must be a rare occurrence and she had no desire to wake him. Instead, she sat in his tender embrace and studied his features, trying to imprint this moment in her mind as best she could so it would return to her in her dreams someday.

Suddenly and to her despair, a knock came at his door and he woke with a start, nearly tossing Eileen from his lap had she not clung to his jacket.

"Professor Snape, might I have a moment of your time?" A voice called from the hall.

"It's Dumbledore, he never just comes to my office...this must be serious, you need to hide." Snape said quietly, pulling his cloak from her as she scrambled off his lap. Before he knew it, she'd transformed into her kneazle form again and scurried off to hide, leaving Snape staring after her for a second before sweeping around his desk.

Opening the door casually, he said, "Headmaster, what is it?"

"I was wondering if you might tell me what happened at the Quidditch match, Severus," Dumbledore said, looking expectant, "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh..." He stepped aside as Dumbledore entered the room, "What is this about the match?"

"You disappeared soon after the dementors arrived, I was curious as to where you had gone to." Dumbledore asked curiously, looking around the room absently.

"I had something to take care of." Snape answered simply, beginning to wonder where Eileen had taken to hiding.

"Oh really? Did everything work out?" Dumbledore wandered slowly with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I suppose...if you think I'm responsible for the attack, you're mistaken."

"My dear professor, I hope you didn't get the opinion that I was accusing you of anything, I was merely curious. It's not often that you miss the end of a match, you're quite an avid fan, if I'm not mistaken."

"No, it was...imperative to leave." He said, remaining by the door as Dumbledore idly examined a jar on a shelf near where Eileen had disappeared to.

"Was it?" Dumbledore muttered vacantly, "I assume the situation was handled carefully?"

"Carefully, sir?" Snape wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"It's quite delicate, I think you would take extra care not to...damage it." He knew, somehow despite the confusion Dumbledore had known.

"Of course...it's perfectly safe." Snape muttered, hoping Eileen didn't take it upon herself to appear simply because Dumbledore knew.

"That's good. You know, Severus, it might be in everyone's best interest if you took more care of the situation."

"Sir?"

"You seem like a capable man, you should be able to handle it on your own. I should like to discuss this further in my office at your leisure, if you have time tomorrow?" Dumbledore returned his attention to Snape who still seemed a little uncertain.

"If you think it's best."

"I do, Severus. I will see you after class then, good day to you." Dumbledore left the room quietly, letting Snape relax, though just barely.

"You can come out now." Snape grumbled, running his hand through his greasy hair.

"What was he talking about, Severus? What situation do you have to take care of?" Eileen padded across the cobblestone floor and looked up at him with her cat-like eyes.

"Nothing to concern yourself with. You should return to your dorm." He seemed distracted by his thoughts as he spaced out.

"Do I have to?" She looked sad.

With a brief moment of fond adoration, Snape stooped and stroked her hair once before saying, "Yes, I think so. Goodnight, Eileen."

"Goodnight, Severus." She sighed, transforming back and giving him a hug before departing, leaving him to stare at the glowing embers of the fire in contemplative thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven

"You wanted to speak to me, Dumbledore?" Snape entered the headmaster's office, calm and reserved as usual, standing by the door until Dumbledore waved him to a chair.

"Yes, I was rather concerned over what you had planned for Miss Pierces future, Severus." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Her future?" Snape looked puzzled, sitting in front of him slowly.

"She is, more or less, alone in this world. I once knew a very gifted and bright student who was also alone in the world, an orphan. He was a clever boy, and I regret not giving him more attention. Perhaps if I had taken better care of him, kept a closer eye on his activities, guided him...things would have happened differently. I believe you know who I am talking about."

"The Dark Lord." Snape muttered.

"Yes. Miss Pierce and Lord Voldemort have a lot in common and, I fear, she may fall prey to the same temptations that the darkness offers. That is, unless someone were to step in and take on a more active role in her life. She still has a glimmer of hope in her eyes and warmth in her heart, it may not be too late for her." Dumbledore mused.

"And what does that have to do with me, sir?" Snape looked a little bit suspicious of the headmaster's intentions.

"Perhaps she would feel more comfortable and confident if she knew she had someone to turn to when she was having trouble, someone to trust. We all need a little encouragement in our lives now and then...I'm sure you understand."

"I have given her advice in the past, it is not like I have completely left her to the wolves...so to speak." Snape said, cocking his eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that is not enough for her, she needs something more."

"Something more, sir?" He seemed to be growing a little awkward.

"Yes. You are aware that she has no guardians, are you not?"

"I was aware of that. But she's doing fine on her own, I was without a guardian for most of my schooling years and I survived."

"Yes, to some extent, but I think we both know what sort of life you have lived, Severus." Dumbledore eyed him sharply and he narrowed his eyes in return, "She is not like you, Severus, she doesn't have the same determination and audacity that you possessed as a young Slytherin student."

"It's character building." Snape reasoned.

"It's overwhelming and detrimental, especially with the added weight of being potentially the most powerful witch known in history and now being a werewolf on top of it. Please take that into consideration." Dumbledore frowned and Snape looked away.

"I have taken it into consideration, sir..." Snape muttered.

"Then what do you plan to do about it?"

"Why do I have to do anything about it? She's not my responsibility." Snape looked affronted by his assumption.

"No, she's not, you don't have to do anything about it. You can sit back and allow her to struggle through school, lost and alone, a constant danger to all the students and teachers every day she goes on untrained in controlling her powers. You have every right to abandon her to the bleak future she no doubt has, no ones making you take any charge over her life." Dumbledore said simply, fiddling with some random object on his desk.

Frowning, Snape said, "So I really don't have a choice."

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, no one will blame you for her accidental destruction of the world should it come to that."

"Why does it have to be me?" Snape asked indignantly.

"Because she trusts you and you know more about her situation than anyone here." Dumbledore explained.

"I'm sure there's someone else that can handle it." Snape looked away snobbishly.

"Conceivably. Lupin has expressed an interest in looking after her, perhaps I should speak to him about this since you're uninterested."

"Lupin? Become her guardian? He can't care for himself much less a child! He's a poor society reject, you might as well turn her over to her real father!" Snape shouted, looking disgusted.

"Then what do you propose?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows looking mildly entertained.

"I suppose there's no other solution than for me to become her guardian...is there, Albus?" Snape sighed, looking put out by this statement.

"Apparently not." Dumbledore tried not to look amused.

"So...if I agree, I'm basically responsible for her for the rest of her life?" Snape asked.

"Only until she's 17, unless you decide to relinquish your rights before then." Dumbledore corrected him, beginning to fiddle with a trinket on his desk.

"So...only 5 years..." He added.

"Yes, that's the general idea."

"Does anyone have to know?"

"No, I don't suppose so..."

"Does she have to live with me? I don't exactly have accommodations for a child."

"I am under the understanding that she already has a place of residence, one would assume she would remain there."

"What about supporting her financially?"

"That is your choice, she does appear to have that handled but I doubt anyone will protest if you chose to assist her in any way."

"So...what exactly would change?" Snape frowned, a little surprised by Dumbledore's leniency.

"Nothing really, though any matters that would require a guardians consent would be regarded by you: holidays, permission slips, grades..." Dumbledore trailed off, setting the trinket down and looking up at him expectantly.

"That's all?" Snape asked, almost sounding disappointed.

"Unless you choose to take a more active role in her life, yes...that's all." Dumbledore shrugged. Narrowing his eyes, Snape said, "Somehow I sense a catch..."

"That is your imagination, Severus, not everything has to have a catch. So what is your decision?"

"Might I...think about it?" Snape asked, still sounding uncertain.

"Of course, you may wish to discuss it with Miss Pierce as well, to ensure she agrees to these arrangements."

"I will consider it." Snape muttered, bowing slightly as he swept around the chair and stalked toward the door.

"Time is precious, Severus, remember that." Dumbledore said, watching him go with a glimmer in his eye.

Snape exited and strolled down the halls of the castle lost in thought, pondering whether or not to even mention it to Eileen. It was close to dinnertime so he headed for the great hall, oblivious to everyone in the corridors as he swept into the back hall and popped through the teachers entrance to the dining room. Taking his place at the head table, he stared blankly at his plate for a while before realizing he was the only teacher at the table so far and a good majority of the students were watching him curiously. He gave them all a death glare and once again, he had his privacy returned to him as the room slowly filled with hungry students. After a while, the tables magically filled with food and dinner began.

Absent-mindedly, Snape served himself as McGonagall took her place next to him and stared curiously at the slow pace he took to eating.

"Plotting a new way to get your house out of competing against Gryffindor, Severus?" McGonagall interrupted his train of thought and he glared at her, growling, "No, it has nothing to do with your blasted house."

"Oh really? Well, don't let me disturb you." She said shrewdly, serving herself some nice salad, cutting it up a bit.

"It's too late for that, now isn't it?" Snape leaned his elbow on the table and let out a sigh, giving her a cautious glance before muttering, "Do you think I could be a good father?"

Her knife slipped on the cherry tomato she was attempting to cut and launched it across the room, the tomato landing with a splash in an unsuspecting student's drink. Looking aghast at his question, she rested her utensils on the table and said, "Are you serious?"

"Forget I asked." He grumbled, taking a long swig of ale.

Blinking in surprise, McGonagall hissed in a soft voice, leaning closer, "Well in all honesty, Severus, you haven't shown much of a fancy for children for all the years I've known you. You practically despise them!"

"They are rather annoying..." Snape swirled the drink in his goblet and watched it slosh around the edges.

"Then why even ask if you find them so detestable?" She seemed mortified at the prospect of him fathering anything, let alone a child.

He stared blankly over the heads of the students at the Gryffindor table, locking onto a crown of white standing out between two redheads.

Following his line of sight, she gasped and stared at him in surprise, whispering, "Are you going to adopt her?"

"Stifle yourself, Minerva!" Snape hissed, looking away quickly.

Blinking curiously, she asked, "Do you want to?"

"No..." He mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

"Then why even ask if you had no intention to do so?" McGonagall asked in confusion.

"I just...nevermind!" Snape barked in frustration, getting up from the table and stalking out of the room.

Frowning, McGonagall rose and followed him quickly, catching him in the hallway and saying, "Severus, you're being completely irrational and erratic, calm yourself!"

"I have no right to be anything to her, I'm no better than her own father!" Snape shouted a little louder than he had intended to.

"Lower your voice, the children will hear you!" McGonagall hissed.

Whipping his wand out, Snape growled, "_Muffliato_!" in the direction of the wall next to them before saying, "She probably doesn't even want me to be her guardian, why would she? I'm about as nurturing as a nundu."

"Severus, what in Merlin's name are you going on about? What is this sudden interest in fatherhood and children?" McGonagall asked, huffing in frustration.

Looking around, Snape glared at her and said, "Dumbledore has been contemplating awarding guardianship over Miss Pierce to one of the teachers here, since she is without a guardian of any sort."

"To...a teacher? Why a teacher?" McGonagall looked surprised.

"I suppose because whoever becomes her guardian would need to help train her to control her powers, as well as sign any required forms." Snape explained, brushing his hair out of his face subconsciously.

"I see...has anyone showed any interest in taking this responsibility?" She asked curiously.

"Lupin has." Snape growled.

"Well he would make a fine father, he always had been fond of children and works well with them." McGonagall said approvingly.

"He's got too much to worry about without having to take care of a child." Snape argued defiantly.

"That is true..." She agreed and Snape looked surprised, saying, "Are you agreeing with me?"

"I suppose I am." She seemed amused by such an idea before becoming business-like again, "Severus, why don't you adopt her? She's grown rather fond of you and you seem to know how to handle her when she has an episode, it would seem logical to award you custody."

"But I'm not a...child person." He mumbled.

"That doesn't seem to bother her, she still likes you and speaks very highly of you."

"She does?" Snape blinked.

"Oh yes, I don't think I've heard her say a single negative thing about you. I think you two would make a fine match. She's self-sufficient and well mannered, a little rough around the edges but nothing a bit of training couldn't fix! Plus..." she smiled, "I think she brings out the best in you, Severus."

"That's..." He turned away to hide his flushing face, "That's ridiculous, Minerva."

"Well suit yourself but I think you should consider it. Sulk out here all you want but I'm going back inside to finish my dinner." McGonagall said, turning and going back through the teachers entrance.

With a sigh, Snape leaned against the wall in further contemplation, staring blankly at the stone floor. After a few minutes, he slowly wandered down the corridor and out into the hallway outside the great hall, meandering toward the stairs to the dungeon after losing his appetite. Leaning on the wall all the way down the stairs, he finally sat down on the steps and stared dismally into the dark corridors ahead, a great weight falling on him emotionally.

Students quickly passed him on the way to their rooms as dinner let out but he was completely oblivious to it all, trapped within his thoughts as he fought over his conflict of interests.

"Sir? Are you okay?" The small voice of a dove floated into his chaos and brought him back to reality as he looked up into the worried eyes of his dilemma.

"Eileen...what are you doing here?" Snape asked vaguely.

"Sir, you're sitting on the stairs to the dungeons..." Eileen said, looking around nervously to make sure no one noticed them.

Looking down at his seating, he quickly stood and glanced around in indignant embarrassment, saying, "I...I thought..."

"What's wrong, you haven't been yourself all evening." Eileen asked.

Looking down at her, he hesitated before saying, "Eileen...can I...can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sir." Eileen blinked curiously.

Nervously, he took her hand and led her down the stairs and down the long corridor to a branch off, seeming to be getting them lost before coming to a room and opening the door and entering with her. Shutting the door, he leaned on it for a moment, staring at the wood as he muttered, "Lupin wants to adopt you."

"What?" Her eyes widened in surprise at the random comment.

"Dumbledore told me that Lupin wants to adopt you." Snape said.

Silence fell for a moment before Eileen said quietly, "I told him no..."

"I know."

"Then why are you talking to me about it? Are you mad that he would ask me such a thing?" She asked in confusion.

"No" Turning, Snape looked her in the eyes and said, "Do you despise parental figures?"

"Not really, I'm not sure I would know a proper one when I saw it." She responded honestly.

"Would you mind terribly if...perhaps I were to...be your..." Snape struggled with the words.

"My...guardian?" Her eyes widened in awe.

"If...you're not opposed to it...but I won't be your father. You won't be living with me and you'll have to fend for yourself, I'm merely here to sign forms and such so don't get too excited." Snape said quickly when she got a happy sparkle in her eyes, waving her off. But it was no use.

"You're going to be my new daddy!" Eileen squealed, tackling him in a tight hug despite his protests.

With a sigh, he pat her on the back, saying, "I suppose you approve of it, then?"

"I wouldn't want anyone else!" She replied, snuggling into him happily.

"Are you sure?" Snape asked, looking uncertain.

Looking up with the biggest smile he had ever seen, she said softly, "With all my heart."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve

Three weeks had passed since Snape was awarded guardianship over Eileen and she couldn't be happier, despite his constant reminders that he wasn't really her father. It was a cool Monday evening and once again the full moon was looming overhead, preparing to bring dementia to any werewolf that stepped foot into its light. Fortunately, Hogwarts' residents were quite safe from its affects, as long as they stayed together all night. But just to be on the safe side, Lupin suggested remaining outside until it was morning.

After dinner, the pair wandered out onto the grounds, strolling slowly across the grass hand in hand as the sun set over the mountains.

"You ready for a night of exploration and adventure?" Lupin asked, smiling down to her.

"Sure, if you are!" She beamed up to him before looking cautious and saying, "Oh um...is it okay if...Severus joins us tonight?"

"Severus?" Lupin blinked his eyes curiously, glancing over his shoulder.

"He said he had some stuff to take care of but he wanted to keep us company. Something about seeing how I handled it, I don't know...he's coming later, I said we'd meet him over by the lake. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure..." Lupin said, though she could tell he wasn't too excited about it.

Squeezing his hand, she said, "Perhaps you two can get along now, things are different now."

"I doubt it..." Lupin sighed, staring up at the sky at the full moon shining faintly from behind the stormy clouds.

"Wouldn't you be willing to try? Please?" She stared at him with her big blue eyes and he smiled sadly, saying, "It's not up to me, if it were I'd put it all behind us but he seems reluctant to forgive and forget."

"Maybe he'll be sociable while I'm around, wouldn't that be nice?"

"It's always nice to have dreams..." Lupin continued to watch the sky as they walked along. Falling silent, Eileen began to ponder how she could help them make up when they arrived at the lake, stopping along the shore and staring out at the choppy water. They stood there for quite a while, not speaking until a voice behind them said, "Well aren't we a cute couple..."

"I didn't hear you coming, you always were good at sneaking up on people, Snape." Lupin said without turning.

"Indeed...it's handy for catching people doing things they might not like to be caught doing..." Snape said as he took his place on Eileen's left, gazing out over the water.

"Oh really? Well, we were just waiting for you, did you have anything in mind to do tonight?" Lupin acted perfectly innocent as he spoke calmly to Snape.

"It's your night out, I assumed you had plans already." Snape shrugged with equal innocence yet a hint of snark in his voice.

"Not especially, I was just going to familiarize myself with the grounds again before it started to rain, the sky is about ready to fall on us." Lupin looked up at the sky again with a sigh.

"Have you ever walked in the rain? I love the way it feels, can we walk in the rain?" Eileen said, sounding absolutely ecstatic.

"You'll catch a cold again." Snape said simply.

"I haven't walked in the rain for the fun of it in a very long time, especially on a full moon." Lupin said, seeming to ignore Snape's warning.

"Lets go then! I suppose well have to wait for it though...come on, I want to show you something!" Eileen said cheerfully, dragging Lupin off across the field before stopping and staring back at Snape, holding out her hand and saying, "Come on, Severus!"

"I told you not to refer to me that way in public." Snape muttered as he caught up slowly.

"Were not in public, it's just Lupin!" Eileen corrected him.

He stopped next to her and stared at her hand warily before she scooped his up quickly, starting off and chirping, "Hurry, before it starts to rain!"

"You remember how to run, right, Snape?" Lupin grinned as he took off at a gallop with Eileen, Snape keeping up just fine, their cloaks billowing behind them on the wind. Light sprinkles of water misted them as they dawdled to a stop in front of one of the green houses used for the Herbology classes, strolling over to a patch outside where several potted plants stood on a table.

"They were planted yesterday, it's the most magical thing when the rain comes...oh, it's starting!" Eileen said, eagerly bouncing as the rain began to pour down over them, quickly soaking them to the bone.

Before their eyes, the tightly wound bloom on each twiggy bush began to unravel, revealing shimmering metallic blue petals that sparkled with diamonds that fell off them in mesmerizing cascades.

"Solus Inorbus, this is a very ancient and rare plant...I thought I heard Spout say she found some." Snape muttered in awe, the glistening blossoms entrancing him.

"The Weeping Beauty? I thought they died out in the late 18th century..." Lupin mused.

"Only in the wild..." Snape answered vaguely.

Taking in a deep breath, Eileen began to sing in her delicate voice, making the magic of the night complete.

"Twas just a garden in the rain

Close to a little leafy lane

A touch of color neath skies of gray

The raindrops kissed the flowerbeds

The blossoms raised their leafy heads

A perfumed thank you

They seemed to say

Surely here was charm beyond

Compare to view

Maybe it was just that

I was there with you

Twas just a garden in the rain

But then the sun came out again

And sent us happily on our way."

"That was beautiful." Lupin smiled down to Eileen when she finished.

"My mother used to sing to me all the time, every night before bed she'd sing me to sleep. That was one of her favorites, she said her mum used to sing it to her when she was a little girl..." Eileen said, staring distantly at the flowers with a vague smile.

"Is that so? Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman..."

"She was..." Eileen whispered, holding in a sigh. She felt her left hand get squeezed and looked up to see Snape glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. With a smile, she returned to her admiration of the flowers in joyful silence. They stayed staring at the flowers for a while until the rain began to beat down harder, whipping on the wind like needles.

"We should get out of the rain, the winds picking up!" Snape shouted over the drum of the downpour, shielding his eyes from the onslaught.

"Let's go to the shack for the night, we can explore next month!" Lupin said to Eileen, turning to go.

"Why don't we hide out in the forest until the storm passes? Come on, it's just right over there!" Eileen pulled at his hand.

"It's dangerous in there, you know you're not allowed!" Lupin argued.

"Are you afraid of it, professor Lupin? Being the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, I'd assume you could defend yourself against the unknown!" Snape taunted with a sneer.

"I was only thinking about Eileen's safety, Snape!" Lupin replied, frowning through the haze.

"I can do a perfectly good job protecting her from the meager threats this forest has to offer, you should be more concerned about your own safety." Snape snarled back, starting off toward the forest with Eileen in tow and Lupin close behind, seeing as he couldn't let go of her hand.

They ducked into the closure of the trees and began to slowly wander into the denser areas of the trees, seeking dry shelter from the storm. Coming upon a particularly thick mass of trees, they stopped and took in the scenery curiously.

"I'd forgotten how quiet it gets in here during storms, most of the creatures have gone into hibernation for the winter so we should be reasonably safe for the time being." Lupin mused, letting out a sigh as he shook his cloak out with his free hand.

"Let me." Eileen said, pulling her hand free of Snape's grip and waving it over Lupin's clothes. They dried magically and so did Snape's and her own when she turned her attention to them.

"That's amazing, and without a wand too!" Lupin praised her, examining her handiwork.

"She isn't as confined by such things as normal witches and wizards are, it's a double edged sword." Snape commented, straightening his jacket idly.

"I imagine so." Lupin muttered, "Switch!" Eileen jumped around to his right side and held his other hand, giving him a chance to shake the numb feeling out of his left.

"It sounds like the rain's coming down even harder, we may be in here for a while." Eileen said, looking up into the trees.

"Well then, shall we strike up a conversation? No point in standing around in silence." Lupin said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"We're in the Forbidden Forest, there're many reasons why we should be silent." Snape remarked snidely.

"We can talk quietly, I'm sure you're capable of whispering." Lupin replied.

"Are you insinuating something, Lupin?" Snape glared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Snape." Lupin frowned.

"Naturally..." Snape glared at him with a sarcastic sneer.

"Stop it, both of you! Why must you constantly fight? Why can't you just grow up and be mature adults like you're suppose to be!" Eileen shouted louder than any of them would have liked.

"Be quiet, you're attracting attention to us!" Snape hissed.

"He's right, Eileen, don't talk so loud in this place." Lupin agreed.

Looking embarrassed and indignant, Eileen said, "How can you reprimand me when you two are being so childish?"

"She does have a point..." Lupin mumbled.

"Because were older, that's how." Snape said before realizing how incredibly juvenile that sounded.

"Older doesn't equal wiser." She grumbled, looking away.

"Another good point! I do believe you're wiser than the both of us combined, Eileen." Lupin said with a chuckle.

"I find nothing amusing about this situation." Snape growled, pulling his robes around himself sharply.

"You're welcome to leave, last time I checked you weren't a werewolf and have no cause to stay out here with us outcasts." Lupin noted.

"She doesn't have to stay out here either, she has control over it, unlike you." Snape pointed out.

"But I would rather keep Lupin from suffering any more than he has to!" Eileen commented in a strained voice, fighting hard not to scream again.

"That's not necessary, he's quite used to being a werewolf by now." Snape said.

"Just because someone suffers something for a long time doesn't mean that they don't deserve freedom from it. How would you feel if you were in his shoes and someone told you that you couldn't be helped because you were used to it or it wasn't necessary? If I can help someone find some peace and happiness in their life I will do my best to do so, no matter who they are and no matter how much everyone else criticizes me about it. I know what it feels like to suffer, I wouldn't wish it on anyone..." She said passionately.

Snape's face began to flush and he turned away, hesitating before muttering, "Alright."

"Alright?" Eileen blinked.

"I will not argue with you, if this is what you want." Snape muttered, "And...if you wish me to leave..."

"No please, stay...just...no more fighting..." Eileen reached out to him, touching his back and staring pleadingly at the back of his head.

"As you wish." Snape said, turning back around and freezing upon seeing they were no longer alone.

Standing a couple feet away, several centaurs posed with their bows drawn, waiting for them to make a false move.

"The little one is loud, we heard her far off." A red haired centaur declared, "You are not welcome in our forest."

"We did not mean to trespass on your land, centaurs. We apologize." Lupin bowed slightly.

"You are different, I sense something savage about you." Another centaur spoke.

"Yes, I am a werewolf." Lupin admitted openly.

"The full moon rises high over us now, yet you are still human. How can this be?" The redhead asked.

"The girl, she is gifted far beyond comprehension, her power radiates strongly. The stars have told of her coming, we must act now if we are to save the future - " A younger centaur with white-blond hair spoke up but a black haired centaur stomped his hoof loudly, bellowing, "We do not interfere in human affairs, Firenze, hold your tongue!"

"But the prophecy!" Firenze persisted.

"It will not be spoken of before the intruders, remember the laws of our kind or suffer the consequences!"

"Please excuse us, we did not mean to intrude on your land. If you will be gracious enough to honor us with our lives, we will leave immediately and not bother you further with our trivialities." Eileen took a low curtsy, bowing her head.

"The young one seems to know her place, for that I will honor her request." The redhead spoke again, holding his head high.

"Ronan, the full growns should be punished for their trespasses!" The black haired one exclaimed.

"Do not tell me what to do, Bane! The humans will leave and not return again, or suffer punishment upon their further infringement of my orders! Leave now, humans, and pray we do not catch you in our forest again." Ronan spoke loudly and precisely, like a true leader might. Bowing again, Eileen turned quickly and began to drag the men with her out of the forest and into the cascading rain.

They did not speak again until they were inside the shrieking shack and dried off, sitting around the fireplace to warm up.

"Have you met Firenze before, Eileen?" Lupin asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, I have...he's a very reasonable centaur." Eileen confessed.

"He made it sound like your existence would mean the ruin of the world. What do you suppose this prophecy is?"

"I don't know...but the way he looked at me didn't make me feel like a savior." Eileen muttered, curling up in her chair and staring into the fire intensely.

"Perhaps we should bring this to the attention of the headmaster." Lupin suggested.

"No." Snape said simply.

"If there's some sort of impending danger, he needs to know." Lupin argued.

"She is not a threat to anyone, or at least she won't be once I have begun training her to control her powers." Snape explained calmly, also staring into the fire.

"When exactly will that be, if you don't mind me asking?" Lupin inquired.

"Tomorrow evening." Snape resolved.

"Really? Thank you!" Eileen jumped out of her chair preparing to tackle Snape in a hug before remembering that she couldn't let go of Lupin's hand and sitting down again.

Chuckling, Lupin said, "That's good to know."

"I do as I'm ordered," Snape explained plainly, "I take my work seriously."

"Yes...you do...for that I'm extremely grateful." Lupin added.

Snape did not respond and together they stared into the flickering flames filling the room and their bodies with warmth, spending the rest of the night in silence.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

"The sun's up, we should get to breakfast before were late." Lupin yawned, stretching as he stood up.

Snape rubbed Eileen's arm to wake her as she had fallen asleep in his lap, curled up contently in his embrace. With a moan, she buried her face in his shoulder and muttered, "10 more minutes."

"It's morning already, no more sleep." Snape said, sounding a bit worn out by the sleepover.

"Let her rest a little longer, one of us can carry her." Lupin sympathized.

Wordlessly, Snape stood, holding her securely in his arms as he strolled across the room to the trapdoor. Lupin held it open for them and Snape knelt, whispering to Eileen, "You're gonna have to wake up for a second."

Sleepily, she slipped to the floor and waited as he jumped through before her and helped her down, letting her hop onto his back for a piggyback ride.

They continued on down the tunnel as Lupin jumped through and shut the door tightly, quickly catching up and smiling at them.

Giving him a sidelong glare, Snape snarled quietly, "What are you grinning about?"

"I was wrong about you." Lupin whispered, still smiling.

"Obviously but how so." Snape grumbled in a more subdued manner than usual.

"I didn't think you would make a good father but you've proved me wrong." Lupin admired the dozing girl on his back, her arms draped loosely around his neck.

Looking away, Snape whispered half-heartedly, "I'm just her guardian."

"You don't have to be blood-related to someone to be a father figure in their life." Lupin reassured him.

Giving him a blank stare, he eventually looked away again and remained quiet.

They emerged through the roots of the willow, making sure to press the knot before venturing underneath the vicious branches

Glancing around, Lupin said, "I'm going to go on ahead, can you manage?"

"I'm not that old, Lupin." Snape grunted, shifting her weight on his back as he said that. Chuckling, Lupin took off across the lawn and disappeared around a rock pile ahead, causing Snape's curiosity to kick in.

"Don't follow him." He heard a little voice mumble, as if she had read his mind.

"Where do you suppose he's going?" Snape said, walking on and staring at the place he had vanished.

"Somewhere we shouldn't go." Eileen moaned, tightening her grip around his neck and snuggling her face into the nap of his neck.

Against his will, he sighed and said, "If you insist."

"I don't want you two to fight again..." Eileen said with groggy concern.

"Why would we fight? There wouldn't be a reason unless he were up to something disagreeable, don't you think?" Snape asked, hoping she was tired enough to let slip some little morsel of a secret.

"I don't know, he just likes his privacy. You can reciprocate the feeling, can't you?" She yawned.

"Perhaps..." Snape mumbled, hiking her up further before setting off up the hill to the school. They entered a rear gateway where Eileen dismounted and let out a yawn, saying, "See you later..."

"Eileen, wait." He whispered, his tone of voice lower than normal, piquing her interest.

Blinking sleepily, she watched patiently as he looked around before leaning over to whisper, "Do not speak of our ventures into the forest, not even to your friends."

"I can't tell them anyway, it would bring a lot of questions to mind," She sighed, "Like why I was out past curfew with two of the male teachers."

"Good, this doesn't need to be getting out, especially to your twin counterparts. They don't need encouragement, as I'm sure you know by now." Snape straightened with a look of annoyance.

"Yes..." She whispered, bowing her head. Coyly, she reached out her hands to grab his, muttering, "I love you, Severus."

"That was random." He said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Mother told me everyday that she loved me. She said you never know when will be the last time you see someone so you should always tell them how you really feel, so you never have regrets in life."

"So does that mean you think I'll leave someday? Or maybe I'll die?"

"I have no control over the future, I'd rather be content knowing that you know than constantly being in doubt."

"I'm well aware of it..." He muttered softly, "But doesn't it bother you that I never say it back?"

"No...my father never said he loved me, it was usually something more along the lines of 'I hate you' or 'I wish you were never born' so I'm just happy that you never say that. It's sort of like saying that you care..." She smiled, her eyes gazing lovingly at their hands together.

"But..." He frowned.

"It's okay, your actions say enough, you don't have to actually say it." She reassured him.

He opened his mouth to argue but footsteps in the hallway ended the discussion quickly. Pulling away, he mumbled a farewell to her before sweeping off down the hall, disappearing behind a tapestry as the approaching threat rounded the corner.

To Eileen's relief, McGonagall came into sight and stared at her curiously before saying, "Miss Pierce, it's rather early for a jaunt outside, don't you think?"

"It was a full moon last night, ma'am, I was just getting in." Eileen said blankly.

Suddenly, her expression softened into a worried expression, saying, "My dear, I'd nearly forgotten! I should have known when Lupin slipped out of dinner...are you alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." Eileen smiled.

"And you're getting along well with the professor during...these times?" McGonagall seemed uneasy saying it.

"I assure you he's been a perfect gentleman to me." Eileen said shyly, knitting her fingers together over her skirt, rocking back and forth slowly.

"That is good to hear but where is Lupin? Should he not have made sure you got back to your room safe?" McGonagall asked, looking around her.

"Oh, he...said he had something to take care of before class, probably a class project." Eileen nodded, hoping she would buy it.

"He does seem to be enjoying his little projects, I daresay he's been one of our better Dark Arts teachers. Well, you'd best hurry now and get ready for class." She waved her past and saw her off down the hallway.

Eileen bowed before hurrying off down the stairs to the Slytherin dorm, quickly slipping inside and hoping no one noticed her absence. To her surprise, she ran into her roommate in the common room, crying her eyes out on one of the couches. Concerned, she approached her and said, "Beth, are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Beth sobbed, getting up and stalking toward the stairs.

Blinking in confusion, Eileen followed her quickly and into their room where Beth began to throw her belongings into her trunk.

"Why are you cleaning now? Class starts in 15 minutes!" Eileen reminded her.

"Not for me, I'm...going home!" Beth wailed, pitching her Charms textbook across the room before collapsing on her bed.

"Going home? But why, Christmas break begins in 3 weeks, can't it wait?" Eileen frowned, retrieving her thrown book.

"Don't you get it? My parents are pulling me out of school! Same as my sister, she's already packed up and ready to leave. I don't want to leave, I just starting making friends!"

"Are they having financial problems? Perhaps if they spoke to the headmaster - "

"Gosh, Eileen, where have you been, hiding under a troll? They're pulling me out of school because of the attacks!" Beth said indignantly, dabbing at her cheeks with a handkerchief.

"Attacks? You make it sound like there's been more than one..." Eileen said, shaking her head as if it's silly.

"What do you think happened to you? You were attacked, before the Gryffindors were, everyone saw it!" Beth gestured wildly.

"Oh right..." Eileen remained calm, remembering that Dumbledore had made up a cover story.

Beth grabbed her arm frantically, hissing, "We know what the potions master did to you, don't deny it!"

"What?" Eileen wrenched her arm free sharply, "Don't you dare say or believe such a thing! Professor Snape was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time! You may ask the headmaster if you don't believe me, he knows the truth of the situation and that is all I am going to say about it!"

"But...why was he chasing you? Why were you so scared and desperate to get away?" Beth asked, a little fearful of her rage.

"I wasn't scared, I was...I tripped on my robe!" Eileen explained.

"Then why were you running?" Beth frowned.

"I was in a hurry, does it matter? All that matters is that he was NOT molesting me nor has he ever done such a thing, do you understand?" Eileen glared at her and she nodded profusely, clinging slightly to her bed covers.

Letting out a sigh, Eileen calmed herself and said, "So they know about the rumors regarding...that situation?"

"Somewhat..." She muttered.

"How many people know about this?" She asked in exasperation.

"Probably every family of this school by now..."

"That isn't likely, there haven't been complaints about it. Most likely, the headmaster headed off any messages about it so the rumor stayed inside the school." Eileen began to pace, "How did your parents find out?"

"Well...I suppose when my sister went home for a couple weeks, she may have told them about it." Beth said sheepishly.

"I see...look, Beth, I don't think it's fair that your parents are pulling you out of school because of me so I'm going to fix this. Just go to class and don't worry about it, you are not leaving Hogwarts if it's the last thing I do!" Eileen said, rushing to the door before she could protest further. Forgetting all about class, Eileen ran straight to Dumbledore's office and up the spiraling staircase, hoping he was in. Knocking rather loudly, she heard a voice on the other side call to her and she entered, finding Dumbledore standing in the middle of the room seemingly alone.

"Miss Pierce, I do hope one of your teachers has sent you and you're not skipping class." Dumbledore said, welcoming her in nonetheless.

"Sir, I need to speak to you about Miss Volo." Eileen mustered all the courage she could and walked toward him with determination.

"Bethany or Mallory?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Both, actually, though specifically Beth. She told me that she's leaving the school because of me and I wanted to know if you can do anything about it." Eileen tried not to sound too desperate so quickly.

"Because of you? I'm not sure I quite understand your meaning, did you do something?"

"You don't know that she's leaving?" Eileen blinked in surprise.

"Of course I know but I don't think her parents really mentioned why." Dumbledore mused, "So what is the true reason for their departure?"

"Mallory told her parents about that rumor between professor Snape and I, they think he's a child molester or...or something. Please, sir, you have to do something! Not for me but for professor Snape's reputation and for Beth! She doesn't want to leave!" Eileen finally began to beg.

"I see, this will not do...I will have a talk with their parents immediately, do give them a message from me to stay here for the day until the problem can be resolved. Bethany should be in Transfiguration right now and Mallory will be in Herbology." Dumbledore waved a piece of parchment into existence and quickly scribbled a note on it, handing it to her and ushering her to the door.

"I'll do my best, sir!" She bowed before hurrying down the stairs and racing off down the hall to Beth's class first. She peered in to make sure Beth was there and was spotted by McGonagall.

"Miss Pierce, is there a reason for your interruption?" McGonagall seemed perturbed by something.

Hurrying to the front of the room, Eileen displayed the message and McGonagall read it quickly before saying, "I see, thank you, I'll pass on the message."

Bowing, Eileen hurried back out before dashing toward the exit to the rear grounds. She slid to a stop in front of the green houses, searching each one for a class and finally finding them in #4. The class was in the middle of their project so she slunk up to the front of the table where Sprout was wrestling with a disgruntled plant.

"Professor, if you could pass a message on to Miss Volo for me, I'll be out of your way." Eileen said, producing the note.

"My dear, shouldn't you be in - oh, I see, Dumbledore's orders." Sprout said upon seeing his lengthy signature, "I'll be sure to tell her, now you'd better get clear unless you want to be unconscious in the hospital wing for a couple hours!"

"Yes, ma'am, thank you!" Eileen said hastily, bowing before running from the flailing tendrils. She slipped out into the open air again and began to walk across the lawn when she spotted something dark sitting at the edge of the woods. Staring in amazement, it was the black dog again but it looked like he was waiting for someone. Glancing around, she made sure she was alone before transforming into her Animagus form and bounding toward him silently.

He was caught off guard for a second, baring his teeth and growling before giving a good sniff and letting out a whimper.

"Padfoot, sir, what are you doing in plain sight like this?" Eileen whispered.

He stood up on all fours, turning and pausing to glance back as if saying to follow him before taking off through the trees along the edge of the forest.

Quickly following, they ran for a couple minutes before coming to a stop and glancing out of the undergrowth to make sure the coast was clear.

Sirius led the way across the field to a rock pile that Eileen recognized, her concern growing as they approached the avalanche. Slowing to a stop, Sirius sniffed around and let out a little whimper as he licked something on the ground.

Gasping, Eileen hurried over to Lupin's side, hissing, "Professor!"

Sirius crept into a shelter out of sight before transforming back, saying, "I found him here this morning after you left, he doesn't look well."

Eileen changed back as well and crouched over Lupin, touching his face tenderly.

"I wonder what's wrong..." Eileen frowned, feeling his forehead but finding no evidence of a fever.

"I'm not sure but he needs help, can you get him back to the school by yourself?" Sirius asked in a hushed voice, glancing around every once in a while.

"Don't worry, I can take care of him, you should go before someone sees you." Eileen whispered, closing her eyes and placing her hands over him, muttering quietly to herself.

Quietly, Sirius watched, unwilling to leave his friends side until he was sure he was well.

With a jolt, Lupin began to cough, gasping for air and clutching at his chest desperately.

Sirius expression softened as he was content with the results, returning to dog form before bounding off out of the shelter toward the woods where he disappeared under the bushes. Returning her attention to Lupin, Eileen said, "Sir, are you alright?"

"Ei-Eileen, what are you...doing here?" Lupin stuttered, panting to breathe.

"I spotted you laying here unconscious, what happened?" She lied.

"Oh, I don't know...I felt odd this morning and wasn't sure the effect of the moon was over so I decided to wait a few minutes until it passed." Lupin muttered as he struggled to sit up, falling back against a rock with a sigh, "But it got worse, like something was constricting me from inside. I couldn't breath and ended up passing out, I'm glad you came back when you did."

"Asthma." Eileen stated.

"Pardon?" Lupin whispered, looking up at her in confusion.

"Asthma, it's a common Muggle ailment that usually results from allergies. I don't know how common it is among witches and wizards but I had it once when I was younger."

"I wasn't aware of having...such an ailment..." Lupin gasped slowly.

"Just rest, I can heal your ailment so that it doesn't occur again." Eileen said, placing her hand on his chest, startling him a bit. He watched in awed silence as she sung quietly,

"_Deo volente_

_ego te absolvo_

_a mortem_

_integer vitae scelerisque purus_

_hic et nunc_

_dictum meum pactum_

_esto perpetua_."

"That enchantment...you've sung it before, I've never seen such magic." Lupin said, his breathing becoming stronger now.

"It's a very ancient magic, my mother fancied old magic since a lot of modern magicians have abandoned it for simpler spells and charms." Eileen explained with a smile, "Better?"

"Much, thank you." Lupin smiled graciously back, "You don't think you could...heal more severe ailments, could you?"

"I don't know, I haven't tried. I've only healed fresh wounds or sicknesses, if you are referring to your furry little problem."

"It was merely a passing thought, don't worry about it." Lupin said softly as he tried to get up. Staggering, he collapsed again and leaned heavily against the rock, looking faint.

Worriedly, Eileen felt his forehead, saying, "What's wrong, I thought I healed you!"

"My dear, that would be the side effects of the furry problem, nothing more." He smiled weakly, though it looked more like a grimace.

An expression of concern, Eileen rested her hand on his shoulder, saying, "I'll help you back to the school, just lean on me if you need to."

"I'm far too heavy for you, Eileen. Just...give me a minute." He panted, laying his head back and closing his eyes.

Pursing her lips, she concentrated her thoughts and sent a message through the air to the castle, through the many halls full of children, down the stairs to the dungeon and into Snape's own mind.

__

Severus...I need you...please come.

"What?" He looked around but he was alone in his office. Assuming it was just his imagination, he went back to sorting through some files before it came again.

__

Please hurry, Severus, I need your help.

Looking up again, he began to recognize the voice as Eileen's and whispered, "Eileen?"

__

Severus...hurry!

"Eileen...where are you?" He hissed, glancing around his office before realizing it was all in his head.

__

Outside...rocks...Lupin...hurry!

Without wasting another minute, he swept from the room and hurried quickly out of the school, flying across the grounds like he was in a race. Skidding to a halt, he looked around at the rock piles and called out, "Eileen!"

"In here!" Eileen's voice echoed from behind a tree and he fought past it and knelt on the opposite side of Lupin, glancing at him curiously.

"What is it, you sounded scared." Snape said.

"It's Lupin, he's really sick! You have to help him or...or something!" Eileen began to panic and Snape put his hand up, saying, "Calm down, I'm sure he's fine."

Just then, Lupin let out a moan and slid sideways into Snape, causing him to look down in disgust and nearly throw him off.

Pausing, he looked closer and noticed how pale and sweaty he was, but upon inspection was without fever.

"Please, you have to help him!" Eileen begged.

"You're the healer." He noted.

"I think I was the one that did this to him! I tried healing him earlier and he was okay for a minute but then this happened! Oh, Severus, you have to help him!"

"But I don't know what's wrong..." He mumbled, unwilling to touch Lupin more than he had to.

"He's dying, I know it!" Eileen sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"No he's not, don't be daft. Lupin, wake up." Snape shook him but no reply was heard, he appeared to be unconscious.

"At least take him back to the school so someone can help him, you can't just leave him like this!" Eileen pleaded, staring at him with watery eyes.

"It's probably just the disease...he'll recover." He began to stand but Eileen said desperately, "No, don't leave him! Don't leave him to die, Severus! Please!"

"Use your magic to get him back, a simple levitation spell will - " He started to turn.

"Don't you understand, MY magic is what did this! You're the only person that can help him now!"

"I told you, he's not dying." Snape argued.

"Do you really want to take that risk?" She frowned.

"There's nothing to risk." He scoffed.

"Is that what you're going to tell Dumbledore when he finds out you left Lupin to die? Are you so blinded by hatred that you would let old grudges bring death to a fellow teacher? Well?" Eileen hissed, glaring at him with her sharp blue eyes.

He stared at her blankly, unflinchingly, without moving an inch.

Narrowing her eyes, she whispered, "Are you going to do what is right or what is easy? Time is precious, and he has little of it left...make a decision, Severus, his life is in your hands."

"In my hands..." He stared at Lupin's limp body with the most egotistical reverence, a malevolent smirk creeping onto his lips as the easy way out crossed his mind more times than Eileen would have liked, most certainly telling her what his final decision was.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

"Alright, I'll help him, but he owes me big time." Snape sneered, leaning down and pulling him to his feet, hooking his lifeless arm around his neck and slipping a hand around his waist to secure him better.

Eileen did her best to help as well as they made their way out of the cover and across the grounds. Halfway through their journey, Hagrid called out from his cabin, "Oi, professor, what's the matter?"

"Nothing I can't handle, return to your business." Snape replied snidely, adjusting Lupin as he kept on walking.

"Well, if yeh insist..." Hagrid mumbled, keeping an eye on them as they hurried to the school. They went straight to the hospital wing where Snape deposited Lupin unceremoniously in a bed and called for Pomfrey.

"Dear me, what in Merlin's name happened to Professor Lupin? He looks terrible!" Pomfrey hurried into the room with random potions and remedies in hand, her eyes scanning his body thoroughly for signs of what illness he had.

"He's reacting badly to magical healing, thereby making it impossible to cure him with such means."

"Well, that's a new one to me, I'm not sure what to do. We'd best get him to St. Mungos as quick as we can, he doesn't look like he'll hold on much longer." Pomfrey sighed, moving toward her office to make the necessary arrangements.

Eileen stared up at Snape in alarm, shaking her head slowly.

Narrowing his eyes in deep thought, he said absently, "Let me try something first, if you can keep him alive until my return?"

"I...suppose...but please hurry." Pomfrey said, coming back to tend to Lupin as he grew paler with every second they delayed treatment.

Snape was gone mere minutes before returning with a goblet of smoking liquid, handing it to Pomfrey and saying, "Give this to him, I have a feeling in his eagerness he forgot to take it last night."

"The Wolfsbane potion?" Eileen blinked curiously as Pomfrey administered the potion. Stepping back to observe with the others, they watched as Lupin slowly began to stir and open his eyes, a weak moan escaping his lips as he groggily stared at the bystanders.

"Professor!" Eileen exclaimed happily, bouncing slightly as she smiled at him.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried we were going to lose such a fine teacher." Pomfrey sighed in relief, hurrying to make a few potions that would bring his strength back.

"What..." Lupin gasped.

"You failed to take your potion last night. If it hadn't been for Eileen healing you constantly, you may have transformed in the open." Snape said sharply.

"That's why he kept falling ill..." Eileen muttered, "It wasn't my magic."

"No, just something you couldn't cure." Snape replied coldly, sweeping across the room and pausing at the door before saying, "It's best you get to lunch, Eileen, you look pale."

"Y-yes, sir." She muttered as he left.

"I'm so...sorry, I didn't mean to...scare you. I was a fool..." Lupin moaned softly, looking completely ashamed of himself.

"No, I'm just glad you're okay. We all make mistakes, no harm done..." She smiled.

"In my case, there's no room for mistakes, Eileen. It could have been an innocent student to find me instead of you; I shudder to think what would have happened then. By the way..." He struggled to sit up a little and Eileen hurried to help arrange the pillows behind him, "How did you find me?"

"Oh, uh...class?" She tried to sound clueless.

"I wasn't on the schedule for today, I never am right after a full moon...how curious." He sighed, closing his eyes as he whispered breathlessly, "I had a dream while I was laying there. I dreamt a wolf came to me and said Id be all right, that he would find help. It seemed familiar, like Id known it all my life. Perhaps I have a guardian angel..."

"A guardian Grim..." She smiled, "Professor, do you feel better now?"

"Yes, thanks to you." He smiled weakly.

"Actually...if it weren't for Professor Snape, I couldn't have gotten you back so quickly. Plus, he was the one who thought of the potion, you'd be halfway to St. Mungos right now if it hadn't been for his quick thinking." Eileen confessed.

"Then I am indebted to you both..." He sighed, "not that I enjoy being in his debt."

"Why not?" Eileen blinked.

"If you have to ask, it's better not knowing. 'Ignorance is bliss', as Muggles like to say." He chuckled. She fell silent and Lupin said, "You'd best head down to lunch and get to your afternoon classes."

"Yes, good day to you, sir, and I hope to see you soon." She bowed before hurrying out of the room. As she strolled down the long hallway alone, she began to imagine ways Snape might have Lupin repay his debt. She had just envisioned Lupin pretending to be a dog and doing tricks as Snape laughed when a seductive coo floated down to her.

"Something on your mind, Dove?" The saucy voice pierced her concentration and she looked up to see Fred grinning down at her from a staircase she was passing.

"F-Fred, I didn't see you there." Eileen stuttered, being caught completely off guard for once.

"Obviously. What were you thinking about so intensely?" He hopped down the remaining steps and joined her as she walked to the Great Hall.

"School, naturally. Hey..." Eileen glanced around, "Where's your brother? You two are always together."

"Oh, he's off finishing some work, I went ahead to find you." Fred said casually with a wink, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Staring up at him in surprise, she asked, "Find me? Why?"

"I haven't seen you all day, I missed my little buddy!" He smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Narrowing her eyes, she muttered, "All right, what do you want? You know I don't want to have anything to do with your plans so if that's all you want..."

"I'm hurt! You make me sound like such a troublemaker, Dove!" Fred looked offended before she gave him a dirty look and he laughed, "Well, as it so happens, I need you to distract a certain someone so we can do something later on. No need to be involved, unless you really want to, so you can honestly say you have no idea what were up to. Okay?"

"Um...I guess so...we are speaking of Professor Snape, correct?" Eileen still sounded unsure but wouldn't refuse a chance to speak to her adoptive father, after all, she had planned to all along.

"Who else? If you could plan to talk to him after your last class today, that would be great. Let's hurry before Ron eats everything at our table!" Fred caught her hand and broke into a run, hauling her the rest of the way to the great hall.

OoOoOoOo

That day after classes finished, Eileen quickly made her way to Snape's office, making sure no one saw her head in that direction. Knocking lightly, there came no response and she began to ponder where he could be when she heard, "Eileen? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, there you are! I was looking for you." Eileen smiled as Snape came walking up behind her with an armful of scrolls.

She opened the door for him as he said, "Why? You saw me earlier today; what could have changed since then?"

"If you don't want me around, I suppose I could just go...I'm sure you're busy." She pretended to be sad as she bowed her head and toed the floor.

Staring at her, he looked concerned as he said, "I...didn't mean to sound like...come in."

With a smile, she stepped in and shut the door, taking a seat on the edge of his desk as he dropped the scrolls and took a seat.

Sighing, he leaned on the desk and said, opening the first scroll, "So what did you want?"

"Nothing really, I just...wanted to be with you..." She swung her legs shyly, trying to think of something to talk about that would take up enough time between now and dinner.

Raising his eyebrows, he said, "Why?"

"Because, no one bothers me here and I can be myself." She smiled and he returned to his work.

"I see..." He muttered, scribbling something on the scroll.

Blinking, she remembered their adventures the previous night and said, "Severus, what do you think Firenze was talking about when he said they needed to act against me to save the future?"

"I'm not sure but don't give it a second thought, those centaurs like to make you think they know everything." Snape rolled his eyes.

"But...what if they're right? What if somehow I end up killing lots of people and destroying humanity as we know it?" Eileen asked with a worried expression.

"I doubt you could do such a thing." Snape said calmly, scrolling more comments on the parchment.

"Aren't you at all concerned? I am rather powerful, you've seen the evidence." She leaned closer while he was distracted with his work.

"You just need training, that's all." Snape muttered, rolling up the scroll and setting it aside before grabbing another from the pile.

"Then teach me how to control it, you said you would tonight!" She flopped over on her back and stared up into his eyes, startling him greatly.

Staring at her with curious eyes, he said, "Did I?"

"Yes, Severus, last night when we were discussing this with Lupin. Unless..." She trailed off.

"Unless?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"You were just saying it to show off." She sat up, her back to him as she stared across the room.

"Show off? To Lupin? Don't be absurd, I meant what I said. I just...have a lot of papers to read and grade right now." He said, obviously trying to get out of private lessons with her.

"I'll help you, I know all this stuff already anyway!" She snatched up a scroll before he could stop her and whipped it open, whistling as she read over the work and said, "This kid's rather ignorant, he should have known that one just by listening to you in class! That was another obvious one, and how could he miss that one? My goodness, does he even go to class?"

"Whose is it?" Snape asked curiously, looking up from the scroll in front of him.

"Malfoy's." She smirked. He tried to grab at it but she held it out of reach.

"_Accio_ scroll!" Snape waved his wand in her direction.

"_Protego_; why is this so important to you?" Eileen said almost instantly, canceling out his spell.

"Just give it to me." He insisted.

"You're not going to pass him, are you?" She frowned at him.

"That's none of your - "

"Do you have some sort of arrangement with his father to pass him? You know you're not helping him, if anything you're ruining his future."

"It's none of my concern what he does with his future." Snape shook his hand insistently and stared at her.

Pausing, she said, "What if I were to give him private lessons? You know, bring him up to speed and everything so he doesn't fail anymore."

"Why on earth would you want to spend any time with him, he's done nothing but torture you." Snape frowned, leaning his head back a little in suspicion.

"If we went through life ignoring everyone who ever did some wrong against us, we would be completely alone in the world. Besides, I think it was all just an act so he would feel better about his own pathetic self, perhaps he would feel more confident if he actually knew what was being taught to him."

"The last thing he needs is an ego boost. In any case, I don't score him falsely, if you must know I give him tips on his homework so he can learn from his mistakes. His fathers very strict about his schooling, more strict than I would be in most cases." Snape sighed, his hand still waiting patiently for the scroll.

"Really? I always pictured Draco's father spoiling him with all the pleasures in life." Eileen said, handing the scroll over with a curious glint in her eyes.

"Well yes, but he doesn't stand for slackers and freeloaders. He's been by here more times than I can count to have a talk with his son about his grades, he just doesn't come in the front door all the time."

"Wow, I never would have guessed...so I suppose Draco's father is a rather admirable man."

"Not many would agree with that statement, he has a rather...colorful past."

"What do you think of Mr. Malfoy?" She stared expectantly at him and he looked up from his work finally.

Hesitating, he said, "He's...a respectable man, the magical community is lucky to have him around."

"You've known him since school, right?"

"Yes, he was an upperclassmen, a prefect, as a matter of fact. We were...acquaintances." He said, looking uncomfortable with the subject of his past.

"I see, so you were friends during school, that's wonderful. I suppose you're still close to this day then?"

"I suppose you could say that..."

"Do you know Draco's mother? I've been wondering what kind of a woman she is."

"She's not what you would think, I can say that much. Narcissa is a fine and respectable witch, as well as a loving mother. Sometimes a little too loving, I might think..." Snape sighed, seeming to be lapsing into a bout of nostalgia.

"Draco's very lucky to have two loving parents, I should hope that he appreciates them." Eileen said, a tinge of envy in her voice.

"I hope so too." He agreed, looking up at Eileen and seeing the distant longing on her face.

His face contorted into a thoughtful expression as he hesitated before saying, "If you help me grade these papers, we can start on those lessons, if you still want them."

"Really? That's great, thank you!" She smiled at him and he smiled softly back, handing her some scrolls as he worked on Malfoy's homework. They worked together in silence, working diligently until the last scroll was graded and corrected.

"Alright, come with me and well find a less...fragile room to begin your training." Snape said, looking around fondly at his many shelves of jarred specimens, leading the way out of the room with his wand in hand.

Eagerly, Eileen followed and they set out deep into the dungeons where not many of the students dared to venture, becoming lost in the twisting hallways until they came to a stop at a dusty door. Snape opened it and it creaked back slowly to reveal a less than stellar classroom that was void of furniture and coated in dust. With a wave of his wand, the room was cleaned and livable, giving them ample space to practice.

"This will be our meeting place from now on for lessons, it's far enough from the other students that no one should hear us." Snape said, closing the door behind them as they entered.

"What would there be to hear?" Eileen looked at him nervously, not comforted by the stern expression on his face.

"Anything. Now, face me as if you wish to do battle." Snape said, whisking his robe off and tossing it aside to have free movement in case anything went wrong.

"O-okay..." She muttered, facing him with her wand in hand.

"Now, the first thing you need to do before anything else is relax and clear your mind of any thoughts. Remember the instructions I gave you before on filling your mind with that void. Focus on my voice and my voice only, I will guide you through this lesson. Are you ready?" Snape's voice was smooth and calm; yet firm enough to hold her attention as she cleared her mind.

"Yes." She said, taking a deep breath in anticipation.

"We'll start slow with your training, focus on maintaining peace of mind in any situation. Only when you have gained complete control of your emotions will you be able to face your demons."

"My...demons?" Eileen blinked curiously, trying not to let her mind wander from the lesson.

"Fears, regrets, emotional wounds...all the things that hold you back and keep you from reaching your true potential." Snape spoke passionately, holding her attention indefinitely.

"I'm afraid, what if I can't do it? What if I hurt you again?" Eileen's focus began to wane as she worried.

"I am prepared for anything that is to come, do not worry about me. Keep your mind on yourself and maintain control, I will be right here if you need help." Snape reassured her.

"Maintain control...clear my thoughts...don't think..." She whispered, closing her eyes and trying desperately to sweep all the ideas and concerns from her mind. Finally, everything was blank, save for a dark figure looming in the void.

"How are you doing." Snape asked a few minutes later.

"Okay...I guess." She said, still fighting to remain calm.

"I'm going to test you now, don't be alarmed. Look me in the eyes, Eileen, and don't look away." Snape said, staring at her patiently.

Opening her eyes, she met his intense gaze as he said, "_Legilimens_!"

Suddenly and without warning, her mind flooded with thoughts she hadn't expected: the day she'd met Snape in the dungeons; weeping in Pomfrey's arms after he'd left the hospital wing; the night she confessed her feelings for him in the common room

"No..." She muttered, her eyes shaking at the urge to pull away.

Now she recalled when Snape spent time with her over the summer; being tended to after the attack; crying at night when Snape avoided her; the moment he asked to be her guardian; dreaming of living with Snape as a family -

"STOP!" Eileen yelled, forcing him so harshly from her thoughts that he fell back, crashing to the floor awkwardly.

Wincing, Snape stared up at her as she clasped her hands over her face, trying to suppress the memories again.

"Eileen...that last memory..." Snape spoke quietly as he tried to stand.

"It's nothing, just a dream I had..." Eileen muttered, slowly lowering her hands.

Getting to his feet, Snape cleared his throat and said, "Well...it was progress...let's break for today. We'll meet again the day after tomorrow after dinner, I expect you to practice clearing your mind every day, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." She muttered.

Taking a deep breath, Snape said, "You may go now."

"Thank you, sir." She bowed and turned quickly, making for the door and hurrying off to dinner. She hadn't expected so much to flood out of her like that, letting him see how much he affected her, especially not the dream she'd been having ever since he'd become her guardian. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she hoped he wouldn't bring it up again in the future, vowing to hide every hint of emotion when he chose to use Legilimens again.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen

As the weeks wore on and classes slowly came to a halt, the Christmas spirit began to sink in among all the houses. McGonagall was busily going around the houses getting the names of the students staying over Winter break and chatter filtered through the air about plans and adventures soon to be had. Eileen was just coming down from the girls dormitory to head to dinner when Draco stepped into her path looking slightly awkward.

"Gho-Pierce, I need to talk to you." Draco said, looking around nervously at the students secretly peeking over their shoulders at them.

"Um...okay, what is it?" Eileen asked, a little surprised by his approach.

"Not here, meet me around the corner by the great hall after dinner." He said in a hushed voice, trying to look casual.

"Why?" Eileen frowned, not to fond of being with him unaccompanied.

"Just be there!" Draco growled, stalking off and leaving her to stare after him in confusion. But just then, Beth bounded down the stairs behind her and caught her arm, saying, "I can't wait for Christmas break, my family is going to Italy for this special fair they're having and it's going to be glorious! What are you planning on doing?"

"Staying here, of course, there's nothing to do at home but study" Eileen said boredly, walking out of the dorm with her and heading for dinner.

"Oh, how boring, I'd invite you to come with us but dad's had this trip planned for a while and...well...you know, money..." Beth muttered.

"It's fine, I'm content with staying here. Besides, I can use the library to study stuff I don't know yet, maybe brush up on my history...I'm sure I can sweet talk my way into the restricted section and get at those lovely beauties." Eileen mused as Beth looked at her in disgust.

"I swear, you're worse than that Grader girl sometimes!" Beth exclaimed as they climbed the stairs.

"Granger." Eileen corrected.

"Whatever, she's a Gryffindor, what do I care what her name is." Beth rolled her eyes.

Eileen broke away from her and stopped on the stairs, saying, "I don't understand why everyone finds it so appalling to make friends within the other houses, it's not like they have some disease or something."

"They're Gryffindors," Beth responded, glaring at her. "They hate us and always think they're so much better cause they're not going to turn rotten or whatever."

"If you hadn't noticed, I befriended quite a few Gryffindors, they're no different than anyone else here." Eileen retorted.

"Yeah well...you're different." Beth muttered as some students passed them.

"What do you mean?" Eileen frowned in confusion.

Shaking her head as if to say this was all ridiculous, she turned her attention to climbing the stairs as she said, "Nevermind, Eileen. Come on or we'll miss dinner."

"I'm not different..." Eileen replied under her breath as she followed close behind. When they reached the top, they crossed paths with Fred and George as they came down the hall from their dorm.

"Evening, ladies! Going our way?" Fred winked at Eileen and Beth cheekily.

Rolling her eyes, Beth gave Eileen a fleeting glance before continuing on toward the great hall.

"What bee's in her bonnet?" George mumbled as they escorted Eileen to dinner.

"Nothing; what, no plotting today?" Eileen changed the subject quickly to the fact of their much secretive escapades as of late.

"Plotting? What ever could you mean?" Fred looked innocent.

"I should be offended by that remark." George scoffed.

"Sadly it's true." Fred confessed.

"Naturally." George nodded sincerely.

"So? Are you ever going to let me in on this big prank you're planning on pulling?" Eileen asked as they headed for their usual seats at the Gryffindor table.

"But you said you didn't want to know!" Fred exclaimed.

"And we wouldn't want to make you an accomplice in our tomfoolery." George noted, taking a seat and reaching for some chicken.

"Never!" Fred agreed sternly.

"Oh come off it, you've been planning this for weeks and sneaking around behind Snape's back, I want to know what you're going to do to him!" Eileen scowled at them in turn.

"Were not doing anything to him." George assured her.

"Not so much to him, really" Fred added.

"More along the lines of in his general regards."

"Yes, that's it, your precious potions master shall not be harmed."

"Only his dignity."

"That's sure to have a good thumping."

"What are you up to!" Eileen hissed insistently.

The twins exchanged glances before leaning in and whispering, "Promise not to tell him?"

"Maybe..." She narrowed her eyes.

"Well...you remember professor Lupin's class on boggarts?" Fred asked.

"How could I forget..." Eileen grumbled under her breath.

"Did you get a look at the boggart Neville got?" George smirked.

"I got there late."

"Right, well, he wished Snape into existence and transformed him into..." George grinned at his brother.

"His grandmother." Fred chuckled under his breath.

"Oh?" Eileen cocked her eyebrow.

"Yeah, green dress and everything, it was quite amusing from what I hear."

"So...where are you going with this? You're not going to actually make him wear such a thing, are you?" Eileen frowned.

"We already said were not doing anything directly to him, Dove." Fred patted her shoulder.

"But anyone who was in the class would remember." George noted.

"But who's staying that was at the class?" Eileen asked curiously.

"Well, just Harry, Ron, and Hermione." Fred said.

"Unless you're staying too." George added.

"Are you staying for Christmas again?" Fred looked concerned.

"I haven't anywhere else to go..." Eileen replied, poking the food on her plate.

"We could always ask mum if you can come home with us!" Fred offered.

"I don't want to impose..." She waved them off shyly.

"What, you want to stay here all alone?"

"No...but your family's big enough as it is, I don't want to add to the havoc that must go on during Christmas." Eileen said.

"Aww, come on now! It's not that bad." George replied.

"Sure mum can be a little crazy sometimes - " Fred said.

"She did threaten us with magical knitting needles one time when we hid her yarn - "

"And she nearly flipped her lid when dad forgot to bring home the ham last year - "

"But other than that, it's lovely!"

"I see..." Eileen wasn't entirely convinced as she set her fork down and got up from the table, "Well, I'll have to think about it."

"Don't wait too long, mum likes to know ahead of time when extra people come by!" Fred said as she walked away.

As she exited the great hall, she remembered to meet Draco and reluctantly went away from the stairs toward the entrance hall. Peeking around the corner she figured he was hiding behind, she spotted him a little ways down a hall in the shadows looking nervous.

"Oi, Malfoy." Eileen called out.

He jumped and looked up at her, waving her off frantically as he hissed back, "Don't announce me to the world, stupid! Why would I want to meet in a hallway if you were just going to tell everyone about it anyway!"

"If you're going to be like that, I could just leave you and your precious hallway alone." Eileen scowled at him coldly.

"NO, I mean...just come here!" Draco beckoned.

"Why don't you come here? I don't fancy being alone with you after all the trouble you've put me through." Eileen crossed her arms and leaned against the corner.

"What have you got to be afraid of, you mopped the floor with me, like I can do anything to you." Draco grumbled, looking rather indignant.

"You have a point there but if you're planning on doing anything, be warned...I'll have all Christmas break to plan something to do to you in return...and I'm sure my friends would love to help plan it." Eileen said as she strolled toward him.

"About that..." He fidgeted awkwardly as she approached.

"Yes? Changed your mind, have you?" Eileen smirked.

"No, it's about the...Christmas break..." He seemed reluctant to tell her for some reason.

"What about it?" She cocked an eyebrow curiously, his discomfort amusing her.

"Well...do you have...plans?" He muttered the last word and she leaned closer, saying, "Have what?"

"Plans! Can't you hear?" He repeated obnoxiously.

"The library will most likely be my good friend during the break but other than that, not really. My friends did invite me to their home, I wasn't quite sure but since you're being so sweet to me, I might just go tell them yes." Eileen cocked her head to one side.

"Fine, what do I care!" He said and started to stalk off down the hall.

"If you had a question for me, you should ask it and stop being such a baby about it, it's not like I'm going to kill you...not yet, at least." Eileen called after him.

"It wasn't my idea in the first place, I'd rather stay here and keep that hairy giant company!" Draco replied, now some feet away from her and looking rather flushed in the dim lighting.

"What wasn't your idea? It's not like you to listen to your peers about anything. I thought you were the brain of the bunch!" Eileen said smartly.

"It wasn't one of my peers, it..." He looked around before muttering, "It was my father."

"Your...father?" She blinked in surprise.

"Yes, he asked me to invite you to...stay with us for Christmas." He hissed through clenched teeth, reluctant to say the words.

"Stay with you? Why?" She was still caught off guard by the sudden invitation.

"I don't bloody well know, it's not like I want you there!" Draco crossed his arms and looked away.

"Well it's not going to be a very pleasant stay if we don't even like each other, doesn't your father know how much we detest one another?" Eileen looked genuinely interested now.

"No, but..." Draco hesitated.

"But what?"

"He...wants you to..."

"Yes?"

"That is, he thought that maybe you could..."

"Hmm?"

"Tutor me over the break." He said quietly.

"Tutor you?" Eileen looked even more surprised.

"Must you repeat everything I say?" Draco spat back coldly, obviously becoming rather cantankerous.

"It's just...how did your father know?" Eileen mused out loud.

"Know what?" Draco frowned at her.

"Nevermind; so that's all he wants me to come over for? Just to tutor you? Couldn't I do that during the school year?"

"No, I'm...really behind in my schoolwork." He said in embarrassment.

"I noticed."

"What was that?" He frowned again.

"So that's all, just come over and catch you up, is that it?"

"Well...you would be our guest, sadly, so you'd join us for dinner and such." Draco said.

"I haven't anything fancy to wear, I'm not exactly as well off as you are." Eileen replied.

"Obviously..." Draco scoffed and looked uneasy when she scowled at him again, "I'm sure mother will handle it."

"I wouldn't want to put her out, I'm sure I can make something..." Eileen began to muse again.

"Mother enjoys dressing things up, I'm sure she'd have a ball making you look...presentable." Draco muttered.

"Well...if your father insists on me coming...I suppose I could." She said cautiously, "When is the train leaving?"

"Tomorrow in the morning."

"Lovely timing on your part then, thanks for the warning." She crossed her arms.

"It's not my fault, he only just told me yesterday!" He replied defensively.

"I guess I should go pack then, not that I have much to pack...I'll see you later, Malfoy." Eileen swept past him and headed for the dorms before remembering that she should tell McGonagall of her change in plans. Hurrying back to the dining hall, she just barely caught sight of her exiting through the staff door and hurried to catch her at the end of the hallway.

"Professor McGonagall?" She called out as she caught up to her.

"Yes, dear?" McGonagall stopped.

"I wanted to tell you that I won't be staying for Christmas after all." Eileen said.

"Oh? Where might you be going then?" She looked just as surprised as she was when she found out.

"To the Malfoys', actually...I've just been invited." Eileen replied almost sheepishly as a look of horror crossed McGonagall's face.

"The Malfoys? Well..." She touched her chest as if to tell her heart to start beating again just as Snape came up behind her.

"Draco invited you to his house?" Snape asked, frowning down at her.

"Not so much, his father asked him to invite me..." Eileen looked a little nervous as Snape's expression hardened.

Sensing a moment of alone time, McGonagall said quickly before leaving, "I see, well, do try to have fun. Goodnight."

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Snape hissed as soon as she was out of earshot.

"He just now asked me." Eileen replied.

"Well go tell him no." Snape said insistently.

"Why? I thought it was your idea!" Eileen frowned in confusion.

"My idea? What made you think that?"

"Because he said that his father wanted me to tutor him on the subjects he's behind in! You're the only one I spoke to about that so I figured you suggested to him that I might be able to help."

"I did suggest it but I didn't expect him to invite you over for Christmas!"

"Did you...have plans or something?" Eileen said in a quieter voice.

"That's of no consequence, you still can't go to their house." Snape replied with a slight air of unease.

"I don't understand, you spoke so highly of the Malfoys, why do you suddenly not trust them?"

"I would trust them with my life, just...not yours." He hissed.

"Not me? Why?" Eileen looked confused.

"Don't ask questions, just tell him you can't go."

"Why don't you come with me then?"

"Come with you? That would be too awkward, don't be daft."

"What's awkward about it? You said you were a friend of the family, why wouldn't they want you there?"

"Look, it doesn't matter, I just don't want you to go. Can't you just listen to me without needing an answer to everything?" Snape asked in exasperation.

"Draco needs help and I can help him, don't you want to see him improving in class?"

"Yes but - " Snape began but she cut him off mid-sentence.

"Then let me go, I'll be fine! I've been through worse times with my own family, I'm sure I can handle the Malfoys."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Snape said, glancing around to make sure they were still alone. "Lucius might ask you questions."

"About what?"

Snape fell silent and just stared at her sternly as if plotting his next move. He was certainly hiding something and she thought she could get it out of him through reading his thoughts but he quickly shut her out. Turning his eyes upon the passing students, he said quietly, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"What can he do to me? I could easily overpower him with my powers, what's the big deal?"

"For one thing, you're not suppose to use your powers outside of school, for another...you don't know him or what he's capable of. You've been dealing with mere children these past few years, wizards like myself are far more advanced than any of these students, do not underestimate him."

"You're starting to make it sound like he's not such an admirable man after all, Severus..." They locked gazes once again and she could tell at this point, he would rather let her go than admit to something he hadn't spoken of for many years.

With a sigh, Snape said quietly, "If you really want to go...then go. But be careful and don't let your guard down, I want you to think of this as a test of your Occlumency skills."

"Occlumency? But I thought you only needed that to focus and keep people from interrogating you."

"It's also for being able to lie through your teeth about something and never get caught at it, but that's only for people who have something to hide." Snape cocked his eyebrow as he said this.

"Have I something to hide that would interest him?"

"In this case...everything, just keep your guard up and you'll survive the holiday. But if you ever need me, send me a message immediately."

"Of course, Severus." She smirked before saying goodnight and hurrying off to the dorms to pack for her trip in the morning.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

It was an early start on the train, a lot of students were wide-awake with the excitement of going home for the holiday, while some dragged their feet across the platform on their way to the train. Eileen was both excited and nervous about the trip, never having spent time with strangers for any amount of time before. She found an empty booth near the back of the train and settled in for the ride home, not worried about socializing with Draco since she'd have plenty of time to at his home. Many hours later, the train pulled into the station in London and all the students made their way off to be greeted by family and friends. Hurrying through the crowd to find Draco, Eileen nearly collided with Fred and George on her way to the doors.

"Oi, Dove, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying at school!" Fred said in surprise upon seeing her.

"Uh, well...you see..." Eileen muttered, a little embarrassed to tell him where she was going since she knew how terribly fond they were of Draco's family.

"Pierce! Hurry up, father will be cross if we're late!" Draco shouted across the platform from outside, having spotted her through the window.

Eileen whipped her head back and forth from Draco to the twins who looked aghast at what they were hearing.

"Malfoy? You're going with him?" George gawked.

"What, you fancy him or something?" Fred looked more upset then stunned.

"I...I'll explain later, okay? I have to go...see you next year!" She hurried off the train before the awkward moment got any worse, rushing to catch up with Draco as he stalked off toward the gateway. They walked all the way out to the open streets outside the train station where Draco stopped and looked around for a moment.

"Father sent a car to pick us up, it should be here already." Draco scoffed arrogantly.

"I see, what does he do?" Eileen asked curiously, wishing to become familiar with Lucius before having to face him.

"He works at the Ministry, didn't you know that already?" Draco glanced over at her and noted by the blank look that she didn't, "Oh right, we never talk..."

"The Ministry of Magic? How exciting, I've always wanted to see that place for myself, I hear stories of it's secrets and mysteries! Have you ever been there?" Eileen asked excitedly.

"Yeah, it's not that interesting, just a bunch of old people dealing with fools and idiots who dishonor the name of wizard - ah, there's the car." Draco picked up his suitcases and walked off toward a man standing next to a white Bentley patiently awaiting them.

Eileen handed the man her bag and Mephistopheles basket, having let him out to sit with her in the car just in case Draco decided to misbehave himself.

Purring loudly, the kneazle watched him closely as they drove off toward the Malfoy manor.

"So, Draco, do you have any siblings?" Eileen asked as she pet her furry companion.

"No, I'm an only child." Draco answered simply as he stared out the window in boredom.

Smiling softly and looking down at Mephistopheles, Eileen said, "So am I."

"Whatever." Draco leaned his elbow on the edge of the door, obviously not in the mood to talk.

Eileen watched him for a moment before falling silent for the rest of the drive.

OoOoOoOo

When they finally arrived at the house, the driver unloaded their belongings into the foyer of the manor, leaving them to park the car. Quick footsteps echoed upstairs and a tall blond woman hurried down to greet them, flying to hug Draco to death and smother him with kisses.

"Draco, dear, you're home!" She said happily as he struggled to fend her off.

"Mother, please! We have a guest..." He fussed, trying to distract her with Eileen.

Looking at her with curious eyes, the woman straightened up and turned to her, keeping a hand on Draco's shoulder as she assessed her. "Ah, you must be the young girl Draco has told us about, you're a lot...paler than I imagined." She said, causing Eileen to raise her eyebrows, "My name is Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother."

"Eileen Pierce, it's an honor to be here, ma'am." Eileen bowed.

"What a charming young girl...come, I'll show you to your room." Narcissa said, waving her wand and causing the luggage to levitate and precede them upstairs. A few bags left them at a room near the top of the stairs and Draco quickly disappeared within the room, obviously wishing to get away from them after having to spend time around her for several hours.

A door further down the hall opened and Narcissa waved her in, displaying the room with one sweep of her hand.

"This shall be your room for the duration of the holiday, you may place your clothes in that bureau if you wish. Dinner is at 7 PM sharp, do dress nicely as Lucius will be home to meet you." Narcissa said curtly, sweeping toward the door to leave her.

"Mrs. Malfoy, ma'am, I..." Eileen blushed as Narcissa glanced back at her.

"Yes? Do speak up, I haven't got all day to dally around." Narcissa said calmly.

"Well, you see, I...I don't have anything fancy to wear, ma'am." Eileen admitted, glancing toward her bag as Mephistopheles hopped onto the bed.

"Oh? I see, so you're poorer than Draco made you sound..." Narcissa muttered, contemplating for a moment what to do before saying boldly, "Well, we shall have to fix that, can't have you going to dinner in your Muggle clothes! Come along now, hurry!"

Eileen followed her out of the room and down the hallway to a set of stairs running up to what Eileen assumed was the attic.

Lighting the way with her wand, Narcissa guided her over to a chest in a far corner and whisked it open, rummaging about before pulling out an elegant red dress and holding it out to Eileen as if to judge the size.

"You're about my size when I was your age, you're 13, are you not?" Narcissa asked, moving to lead Eileen over to a mirror nearby that was half covered by a drape.

"12, actually." Eileen corrected her as she magicked the drape away and held the dress up to her in the reflection.

"Oh? Draco said you were in the same class." Narcissa said, examining the dress as she spoke to her, making sure it wasn't too long.

"We are..." Eileen felt a little awkward having Narcissa fuss over her so much.

Giving a thoughtful hum, Narcissa strolled over to the chest again and rummaged some more before producing a pair of shoes and presenting them to Eileen.

"Try these on, I think it should fit you." Narcissa said, shuffling her off to a changing wall and leaving her to change as she looked through the other dresses for other possibilities.

Ineptly, Eileen slipped out of her clothes and into the dress that fit rather nicely to her surprise. Trying on the shoes, they also fit comfortably as she stumbled a bit on the high heels as she came out around the accordion wall to show Narcissa.

"Does it look alright?" Eileen asked quietly, holding the skirt up as she walked toward her so she wouldn't trip and fall.

"How lovely! It's a bit long but we can fix that, I didn't expect it to be perfect." Narcissa beckoned to her and waved her wand, bringing the hem up several inches until the dress just barely touched the floorboards. Looking quite pleased with her work, she posed her in front of the mirror again and began to fiddle with her hair, seeing how it might look in different styles.

Staring in stunned silence, Eileen was mesmerized by how grown up she appeared in Narcissa's old dress, touching the silky material gingerly as if afraid it might tear if she pet it too vigorously. "It's...beautiful..." Eileen finally said after staring for a while.

"Well of course it is, I wouldn't wear anything dreadful! Now tell me, dear, do you have any accessories?" Narcissa asked, already looking as though she knew what she was going to make her wear anyway.

"Accessories?" Eileen looked clueless and Narcissa seemed devastated.

"My dear, you don't know what - nevermind, follow me." Narcissa sighed, leading the way to the stairs quickly.

Barely having time to retrieve her clothes, Eileen rushed to catch up, stumbling on the heels as she went and nearly falling down the stairs trying to keep up with Narcissa's long strides. They entered what she assumed was her dressing room and was motioned to sit on a cushion in front of a vanity mirror as Narcissa searched its drawers for various things. Eileen watched her produce necklaces and hold them in front of her until picking a delicate pearl necklace.

"Oh dear, you don't have pierced ears, do you?" Narcissa pouted before asking curiously, "Would you like them pierced? We used to use this piercing charm in school to do each others ears behind our parents' backs."

"Um...no thank you, ma'am." Eileen looked warily at her ready wand, not sure she was ready to trust body parts to her powers.

Shrugging, Narcissa said, "Suit yourself, you can wear this bracelet to make up for it. Now, for makeup..."

"Make up for what?" Eileen blinked.

"You're kidding me, right?" Narcissa looked dismayed before putting her hands on her hips and saying, "Have you been hiding under a rock or something?"

"I guess so..." Eileen said, looking at the tools she'd placed on the table with curiosity and slight apprehension.

"Well, I shall have fun with you..." Narcissa smirked as she went to work on preparing Eileen for dinner.

An hour later, Eileen found herself being ushered to the stairs by Narcissa who was taking a moment to explain to her a few last minute meal manners, just in case she wasn't familiar with the formalities.

"Now, you remember everything I told you?" Narcissa said, fussing with a rogue strand of hair that had come free of the styling she'd done.

"Yes, ma'am." Eileen replied quietly, remaining still for fear of messing something up and being subjected to more play from the woman.

"Good, follow me and I will introduce you to my husband." Narcissa led the way down the stairs to the dining hall where she gracefully swept across the room to where the men of the family had already taken up residence. They stood upon their entrance as Narcissa announced their arrival, saying proudly, "Lucius, darling, may I present Eileen Pierce. Eileen, this is my husband, Lucius."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Eileen curtsied slowly before looking up into the foggy gray eyes of Lucius, finding herself strangely flushed by his presence. He was much more handsome than she had imagined him being, his long pale blond hair neatly tied back in a black satin bow at the nap of his neck and matching his refined robes of equally ebony hue.

He stood tall and noble like a king of his house, staring down at her over his perfectly pointed nose, his milky white skin almost as pale as her own.

She almost felt as though she fit in with their family, having similar features and coldness in her eyes, but somehow knew she'd never be accepted by Draco whom was currently standing by his father looking annoyed.

"Welcome to my home, Miss Pierce, I have heard so much about you from Draco and hope to become more acquainted with you over the holidays. Please, have a seat." Lucius spoke with a silky smooth voice, obviously quite versed in sweet-talking any manner of folk, a cool smile gracing his lips as he waved her to the empty chair next to Draco.

She bowed slightly before taking her place and sitting in unison with the family, watching Lucius curiously as Draco fidgeted in his seat.

"Draco tells us you're a skilled duelist, who was your teacher? A well-known wizard, no doubt..." Lucius asked as the servants brought in the meal.

"My mother, actually, she told me that I should be ready for anything that life has to offer." Eileen replied politely, eyeing Draco as he seemed to be stewing over the memories of his humiliation.

"I see, a fine witch she must have been, a shame about her passing, I would have liked to have met her." Lucius said, taking a sip of the wine freshly served to him.

"You might have known her, she went to Hogwarts as well." Eileen explained, sipping at her water and avoiding the wine.

"Did she now? Was she a Slytherin as well?" Narcissa joined the conversation excitedly.

"No, a Ravenclaw, Ma'am. Her name was Deirdra Pierce." Eileen replied calmly.

"Hmm...the name doesn't sound familiar, a shame I didn't know her." Lucius said as if he could care less. Obviously he didn't think much of the other houses, but at least she wasn't in Gryffindor, Eileen didn't want to imagine his reaction if that were the case.

"She was obviously intelligent then, Ravenclaws are known for their knowledge." Narcissa noted, eating her meal rather daintily.

"So it would seem..." Lucius said, watching Eileen curiously as she poked at her meal and attempted to eat with the utmost grace. The hours passed as Lucius went on asking random questions and fussing at his son whenever he looked bored enough to pass out or ignored his mother.

Finally, dinner ended and Eileen bid the family goodnight before retreating to the guestroom, kicking off the heels once she was out of sight. Eileen sat down on her bed, a dismal feeling washing over her after the interrogation she underwent at dinner. Were all wizarding families this inquisitive and pompous? Being thoroughly exhausted and disgusted, she wriggled out of the dress and carefully removed all of the accessories Narcissa had adorned her with. Setting them on the vanity, she quickly washed her face with magic and donned her nightgown, crawling into bed with Mephistopheles. The fire rumbled softly in the hearth, warming the cold mansion in every room as the residents snuggled in their beds, at least that's what Eileen imagined anyway.

Further down the hall in the master bedroom, Narcissa was sitting on her bed watching her husband undress in the pale lighting.

"Are you staying home for Christmas, darling?" Narcissa asked, oggling him curiously, her eyes hungrily taking in his form pleasantly outlined in the firelight.

"Unless something comes up, yes." Lucius replied coolly, pulling on a pair of pajama pants.

Getting up from her viewing spot, Narcissa crossed the room and ran her hands over Lucius bare chest, slowly tracing over each muscle and scar on his torso. Looking up into his cold eyes, she whispered, "You promised me that once this ended, you'd be around more often. I miss you..."

"I miss you too but it's not over yet - " Lucius reached up to stroke her hair but she pulled away sharply.

"He's dead, Lucius! Why don't you let this whole thing die with him and come back to your family, your son needs a father to look up to! Besides, what do you think we'll do if you end up getting arrested and thrown in Azkaban, hmm?" She hissed, glaring at him through the dark.

"It's not that easy, cupcake, he may be dead but his ideals and followers still live on. Another will rise in his place, this girl is perfect for carrying out his will! She's powerful and naïve, we can bend her to do our bidding and aid us in ridding the world of these fools who oppose us!"

"Even if you did succeed in gaining her trust, do you honestly think that friend of yours will allow you to use her like that? If he found out what you were planning - "

"My dearest Cissy, have you no faith in your own husband? Let's not talk about this anymore, come to bed..." Lucius cooed, taking her by the waist and petting her hair lovingly.

With a sigh, she muttered, "Alright...but don't go running off in the middle of the night, okay?"

"Of course not, darling...not when I have you beside me." Lucius smirked as he carried his wife over to the bed to have his way with her.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Eileen woke early to the sound of Mephistopheles purring loudly in her ear, smiling as she reached to scratch him under his chin. With a yawn, she muttered, "Good morning, Mephi, did you sleep well?"

He meowed softly before stretching and jumping to the floor, pacing while he waited for his owner to join him. Eileen dressed and headed downstairs with her kneazle trotting along at her side, both with their noses sensing the delightful smells drifting up from downstairs. But upon entering the dining room, they found no signs of breakfast.

"I guess it's not ready yet." Eileen concluded, turning to head back upstairs when her kneazle took off across the room toward an open door. "Mephi, wait!"

He bounded through the doorway and Eileen quickly followed, finding herself standing in the midst of a busy kitchen full of house elves.

With a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, Eileen exclaimed, "Wow, more house elves. Aren't they amazing, Mephi?"

"Amazing?" One of the elves stopped and stared at her in surprise.

"Why yes, of course!" Eileen smiled down at it.

It's eyes swelled with tears as another stopped and stared at her, saying, "Surely you don't mean us!"

"Well, you're elves, aren't you?" Eileen raised her eyebrows at their reaction to her comment.

"Yes, but we are but humble creatures! We deserve no attention, ma'am!" The first one sniffed.

"You mustn't be here, the masters and mistress will be cross!" Another house elf came over after noticing the stop of work.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, carry on with your work." Eileen bowed and half the workers began to bawl at her display of respect so she hurried back out of the room and shut the door. With a sigh, she looked down at Mephistopheles and said, "Sensitive little things, aren't they?"

Mephistopheles meowed in agreement and they headed back toward the stairs. Upon reaching the top, they were greeted by a groggy Draco coming out of his room and glaring at them.

"Why are you always up so early?" Draco grumbled, rubbing his eye sleepily.

"I'm a light sleeper." Eileen said quietly. She had never seen Draco away from his friends before; he seemed different somehow with his hair in a right mess and lack of entourage in tow to make him seem big and important.

"Yeah, when you're not having nightmares and screaming bloody murder all night." He said before letting out a yawn.

"Sorry about that." Eileen spoke softly as she cast her eyes to the floor sadly.

Staring at her for a moment, he muttered, "What were you going on about anyway?"

"Just...a bad dream." Eileen muttered back, obviously looking like she'd rather not discuss it with him.

With a shrug, he began to walk toward what she assumed was the bathroom as he said, "Well try not to let it happen again, we don't need you bloody well waking the neighbors while you're here."

Eileen watched him closely before heading to her own room, plopping onto the bed and staring at the canopy overhead in deep thought.

"Someone's obviously not a morning person..." Eileen muttered to no one in particular, sighing and resolving to pull out some paper and write a letter. As she scratched away at the paper and documented her first day at the Malfoys for Snape to read and know she was alright, she heard a knock at the door and quickly hid the letter in the vanity drawer.

"Good morning, ma'am, breakfast is ready." An elf popped its head in the door shortly before disappearing again, mostly likely to wake the others. She pulled the letter back out for a moment and finished writing her message to Snape.

__

Other than the questions last night, I haven't felt threatened by them. On the contrary, they've been quite civil and kind to me. Though Draco still doesn't seem fond of my presence, I think we can put up with each other for a few more days without anything terrible happening. I will try to write tomorrow if I have anything else to account.

Folding the letter and stuffing it into an envelope, she addressed it and stowed it away in her blouse for safe keeping before heading downstairs to breakfast.

After the meal, Lucius stood and said, "Now Draco, I expect you'll be spending time with Eileen working on that homework that you're having trouble with."

"Do we have to do it today? I just got home..." Draco whined.

"Oh, can't he enjoy a little break, dear? He's been working so hard all year." Narcissa added to the begging.

Sighing, Lucius said, "I suppose, but Miss Pierce will be bored, no doubt."

"Oh no, your home is quite fascinating! I'd love to take a look around and learn about your family history if you wouldn't mind." Eileen beamed; the random relics scattered about the mansion catching her eye everywhere she went.

"Is that so? Well, why don't you give her a tour, Draco? I have some business to take care of and your mother has arrangements to make for Christmas, do show our guest around." Lucius suggested, more as an order than a request as he walked away from the table and gave his wife a kiss before leaving the house.

Rolling his eyes, Draco got up and started to leave the room as he said over his shoulder, "Come on, ghost."

"Coming!" Eileen bowed to Narcissa quickly before running to catch up to Draco who was halfway up the stairs.

He strolled lazily down the hallway and motioned to random paintings of people hanging all along the walls, all eyeing them shrewdly from their frames as Draco said, "These are ancestors of the Malfoy family, some are also of the Black family line, that's my mother's side of the family."

"Black?" Eileen immediately recognized the name as the man she had met hiding out in the shrieking shack.

"Yep, my parents families are respected purebloods in the wizarding world, a Black was once headmaster at Hogwarts too." Draco explained in a half-hearted tone, waving randomly to a picture as he passed it.

Eileen stopped to read the nameplate on the painting, muttering, "Phineas Nigellus Black."

"I see you can read so you can't be entirely stupid." A voice came from the painting and looked surprised.

"Oh, it talks too!" She exclaimed, staring in wonder as it scowled down at her.

"Indeed." Phineas replied shrewdly, glaring down his nose at her.

"I read about you in my history books, I never thought Id be able to talk to a dead person. What was it like when you were headmaster?" Eileen seemed thoroughly amused by the talking masterpiece and ignored his snide comments.

"Dreadful, smarmy little brats running around everywhere wrecking the school and doing Merlin knows what behind my back. Would have flogged them all if the parents weren't so against it!" Phineas snorted.

"I see much hasn't changed," Eileen chuckled. "Say! Did you go to Hogwarts the same time Dumbledore did?"

"Well if you can count, then you will have noticed we were around the same age...if I were still alive, that is." Phineas replied grudgingly.

"Do you remember what he was like when he was a kid? Oh...I guess you wouldn't, since you're just a painting." Eileen mused.

"Why are you talking to that?" Draco looked at her like she was mad.

"Because he spoke to me? I thought maybe he could tell me about the teachers at Hogwarts." Eileen noted.

"What do you care?" Draco cocked his eyebrow curiously.

"I don't know, they're all so secretive, it's interesting to see what they were like when they were our age," Eileen commented before turning back to Phineas. "So do you remember Dumbledore when you attended Hogwarts?"

"It was many years ago, child, my memory's not THAT good. Though, I recall a time he set fire to a dorm room..." Phineas seemed to be straining to remember these details.

"What? Dumbledore a vandal?" Draco suddenly showed an interest in this new information and joined Eileen in front of the painting.

"I daresay he claimed it was an accident but we all knew he wasn't fond of the tapestry." Phineas added.

"I bet. Oh, father would love to hear this!" Draco smirked at the thought of ratting out the headmaster for being a rebel.

"Are you always such an insufferable snitch, boy? I'm ashamed to call you family, no integrity whatsoever." Phineas growled, glaring at Draco.

"Well, I'm sure a lot of adults were quite different when they were children, it's part of being a child. Live and learn?" Eileen said, hoping to avoid an argument.

"Quite the thoughtful one, eh? I suppose you're not as much a dunderhead as I thought you were." Phineas concluded.

"Let's go, it's just a bloody painting." Draco grumbled, stalking off down the hall away from the painting.

She bowed before hurrying to catch up to Draco who was just entering a side room.

They toured the rest of the house - or at least all of it they were permitted to look at - and ended the adventure in a drawing room near the back of the mansion. It looked to be set up for potion making and had quite a few cabinets full of ingredients waiting to be used.

"Father set this room up for us to review the lessons Snape's been babbling about lately, I guess we can start your tutoring now." Draco sighed; looking none too interested in doing anything but messing around all break.

"I thought we were taking a break today, couldn't we play Quidditch instead?" Eileen remarked.

Eyes widening, Draco stared at her and said, "You're more interested in Quidditch than schoolwork?"

"Well, I assume it's what you enjoy doing in your free time, when you're not torturing 1st years and spreading rumors at the expense of others. Shall we?" She said smartly, walking out of the drawing room with Draco hot on her heels.

"Can you even play?" Draco asked as he led the way outside to his own little private Quidditch pitch.

"No, actually, I can barely ride a broom. But I'm willing to learn." Eileen noted as she watched Draco eagerly dig out his equipment and prepare a game.

"Ha! So there's something the great ghostly genius doesn't know! Fantastic, I can wipe the field with you then." Draco smirked as he prepared to release a golden snitch to practice his seeking.

Eileen watched him play for a few moments, silently memorizing his movements and enjoying his futile pursuit of the snitch before shouting up to him, "I have a proposal for you, Malfoy!"

"Oh? What is it?" Draco hovered over to her, taking this moment to catch his breath.

"For every hour I tutor you in the classes you're behind in, you teach me how to play Quidditch for an equal amount of time. That way we both get something out of this arrangement and you can continue to practice for your team." Eileen proposed.

"Thinking like a true Slytherin, I see! Sounds like a fair trade, I agree!" Draco grinned, obviously willing to do anything to get out of the house and away from schoolwork.

"Splendid, tomorrow after a couple hours of tutoring, you can show me how it's done," Eileen said, taking a seat on the grass. "For now you can play to your hearts content, I'll just watch."

"Suit yourself." Draco shrugged, taking off again and continuing his pursuit of the snitch and practicing maneuvers late into the evening.

After the sun had begun to set over the treetops, Draco put away his equipment and headed inside with Eileen trailing close behind. He headed upstairs to clean up before dinner and Eileen wandered around the house aimlessly for short while before hearing Lucius return home.

"Ah, darling, home just in time! Dinners nearly ready." The familiar delicate voice of Narcissa drifted from the foyer as she greeted her husband with a kiss.

"Where are the children?" Lucius asked as he walked across the foyer toward the stairs, most likely to change into something more relaxed.

"Upstairs changing, they've been outside all day doing Merlin knows what."

"Ah, good, Draco's doing his part then?"

_His part? _Eileen thought to herself, leaning close to the wall to listen to their conversation.

"He's still being quite hostile toward her but I think she's beginning to open up to him, they were together all day after all." Narcissa replied as they headed upstairs.

"Excellent! With any hope our plans can proceed before they return to school. I'll have a talk with him tonight about being nicer to her..." Lucius voice trailed off and Eileen figured it was safe to come out.

Peeking around the corner, Eileen saw no sign of them and quickly apparated into her room before she heard a knock come at the door.

"Y-yes?" Eileen responded hastily, caught by surprise.

"Dinner's almost ready, dear, finish cleaning up and come down stairs!" Narcissa called through the door before walking away.

With a sigh, Eileen plopped down onto the bed and fell back, bouncing on the mattress as she said, "So Severus was right about them...well, Mephi, what's say we find out what they're up to?"

Mephistopheles ignored her as he snoozed on the bed and she rolled over to stare at him.

"You're a lot of help. I would have expected you to just wander off and find yourself a bit of adventure but you've been napping in here all day, haven't you? I guess I'm on my own then, huh?" Eileen said, not gaining any more response from him than she did the first time. With another sigh, she got up and headed downstairs for dinner, enduring more casual but obviously nosy questions from the head of the household.

That night, Eileen went to bed early and made sure they thought she was asleep before staking out next to her door in kneazle form with her ear pressed up against the door, all the better to hear them conspire with. It was quiet for a while and she began to grow bored of waiting when suddenly, she heard the faint click of a door and knew Lucius was on the move. Quiet footsteps passed her door and headed on down to Draco's room where there was a light knock before quiet ruled again. A few moments later, she heard the door creak open and settled in for their conversation.

"Father?" Draco muttered sleepily.

"Quiet, I need to speak with you about...the girl." Lucius hissed.

"Now? Can't we - " Draco whined, obviously not keen in losing his beauty sleep.

"No, come with me!" Lucius growled.

The footsteps headed away from her location and padded down the stairs, out of her hearing range.

"Drat, I'll have to follow them!" Eileen hissed, quickly changing back into human form in order to apparate into the hallway. Transforming yet again, she bounded to the top of the stairs and peered over the edge to see where the two had gone. She caught the faint glimmer of candlelight fading into the hallway under the upstairs wing and knew they were heading for the drawing room for a bit of privacy for their palaver.

Quietly, she slunk down the stairs and hurried to catch up to them, lest she miss any precious conversation. Tiptoeing up to the closed door, she heard their muffled voices whispering on the other side and pressed her ear against the door to listen in.

"Did you learn anything important about her past or family?" Lucius whispered, his voice trailing in different directions as he paced around the room.

"No, nothing that I didn't already tell you, though she is a poor Quidditch player apparently." Draco yawned, still sounding disgruntled for being woken.

"You need to get closer to her, Draco, we must learn what her weaknesses and strengths are for the plan to work!" Lucius hissed in frustration.

_Plan? What plan? So they didn't invite me here just to tutor Draco... _Eileen thought to herself.

"Why don't you ask Snape, I'm sure he'd be able to tell you plenty about her." Draco remarked.

"No, we can't let him know, we're not sure where his allegiance lies these days. For all you know, he may ruin our plans if he knows of our intentions."

"But you told me he was one of the Lord's most trusted men! Next to you, of course; why would he get in the way of the Lord's will?"

"That may be but Snape's not one to risk his own life for anyone unless he can benefit from it, that's why we can't trust him."

"I think he has his own plans for her, father." Draco said, sounding more awake.

Lucius pacing stopped and he said, "What makes you think that?"

"She spends a lot of time with him, far more than anyone else at Hogwarts. He's even taken to defending her whenever some rumors started about her!"

"That is interesting...he's up to something, perhaps I will pay him a visit after all," Lucius muttered, resuming his pacing. "Until then, I want you to continue your part and keep me updated if you ever learn anything important about her."

"Yes, father." Draco muttered.

Their footsteps headed toward the door and Eileen took her leave, running into a side room to hide as they passed on their way back upstairs.

Returning to her room, she crawled into her bed and pondered these new developments, not getting a wink of sleep all night.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Eighteen

Eileen was greeted by a house elf sometime early in the morning, telling her it was time to play along with the Malfoys and go to breakfast. Waiting until the elf left, she rolled out of bed and stumbled across the room to her clothing closet to find something suitable for morning activities. Donned in a pair of worn out jeans, old sneakers, and a cerulean blue sweater, she grabbed Snape's scarf and tucked it under her sweater before heading downstairs. Finding a seat across from Draco, she greeted everyone as she was served her meal.

"Draco's father had to leave early this morning for work but he will be back this evening, he said to make sure Draco did plenty of studying in the mean time." Narcissa said sweetly to Eileen as they ate.

"I will." Eileen replied simply, her plans for the day already plotted out.

Draco seemed curious as to her casual attire, especially since he had never seen her wear pants before. Staring at her curiously, he was startled when she met his gaze and said, "Are you prepared for a day of grueling work and testing?"

"Not especially, no." Draco muttered before suffering a glare from his mother.

"This is what got you such poor grades in the first place! Do you want to ruin your fathers name with your laziness?" Narcissa scolded him.

"Of course not, mother." Draco submitted wryly.

She gave him one last lingering glare before turning her attention to Eileen again, "I'm sure you two will get plenty of work done. I'll be going out for a bit of shopping so you two will be home alone. If you need anything, just get one of the house elves to deliver me a message and I'll come home as soon as I can."

"Yes, ma'am." Eileen replied.

The trio finished their meals and adjourned to the foyer as Narcissa showered Draco with kisses before departing.

As Draco wiped the lipstick from his cheeks, he grumbled, "Alright, let's get this blasted studying over with."

"Wouldn't you rather play Quidditch? I know I would, shall we?" Eileen said as she pulled out the scarf and put it on, heading toward the back door and leaving Draco blinking in confusion before he running after her.

"Wait, are you disobeying orders? How awfully rebellious of you! My father won't be pleased." Draco seemed quite amused by her disregard for schoolwork.

"We made an agreement to teach each other during the break; I want to learn how to play and you need to learn what you ignored during class. I never said we had to study first, you're going to show me how to ride a broom for the next hour then we will take a break and study for an hour and so forth. Unless you would rather study?" Eileen cocked an eyebrow as she paused in the hallway in front of the back door.

"No way, let's go!" Draco exclaimed as he led the way into the yard. Hurriedly, he pulled out two brooms and presented her with one, saying, "First rule of riding a broom: don't just climb on, it has to like you."

"Like me? Is it a broom or a pet?" Eileen eyed it cynically as she took it.

"I guess you could say it has a mind of its own. A broom relies on the rider's reflexes and responses in order to move and if you don't trust it, it won't do what you want. You have to be confident to ride a broom, or else bad things could happen." Draco explained, placing his own broom on the ground to demonstrate.

Eileen did as he did and watched as he stuck his hand out over the broom and called to it, quickly receiving it and raising his eyebrows as if waiting for her to repeat.

Swallowing, she swept the ends of the scarf over her shoulders before holding her hand out, saying timidly, "Up?"

"You couldn't get a slug to sit up with a command like that. Stop being a wuss and tell the broom what to do!" Draco barked arrogantly.

"UP!" Eileen shouted with her eyes screwed shut. The broom shivered for a minute but did not rise, making Eileen frustrated as she called to it repeatedly. Finally, it gave up the battle and floated to her hand to her relief.

"Finally! This isn't going to be easy...we might need more than an hour for you." Draco sighed, tired of waiting. Swinging his leg over the broom handle, he let the end of the broom rest on the ground as he said, "Now mount the broom and gently kick off from the ground, it should hover a bit until you can gain your balance."

"Okay..." Eileen cautiously straddled the broomstick and tucked it firmly between her legs before giving a little hop. To her utter horror, it took off into the sky at a rapid pace, forcing her to cling to the broom for dear life as she screamed, "NOT AGAAAAAAIN!"

Acting quickly as if he'd expected this, Draco kicked off from the ground and pursued her as she twirled through the air in random directions. Catching up, he reached out and grabbed the end of her broomstick, pulling it to a stop next to his. With a sigh, he said, "You're bullocks at this, when did you do it before?"

"My first year, George let me try his broomstick at the Quidditch pitch...it didn't go so well, I fell off." Eileen sighed, still clinging to the broom.

"Maybe we should stick to calling the broom until it comes the first time you call it."

"I don't think brooms and I get along very well." Eileen laughed nervously as they steered back to the ground.

Dismounting, Draco said quietly, "It just...takes practice."

"Brooms don't come with training wheels, do they?" Eileen scratched her head as she dismounted.

"No, don't be silly." Draco scoffed before looking uncomfortable.

Blinking curiously, Eileen figured out he was struggling to be nice to her, remembering the discussion she overheard last night before looking across the lawn at a butterfly fluttering over a rose bush.

"Your house seems so dark and ancient, yet when I step out into the back yard it's like discovering a secret Eden within a morbid realm." Eileen commented softly, admiring the lush flowerbeds.

"It's my mum's pastime, she likes to grow flowers." Draco said, "I guess it's her way of making due while I'm not around to baby."

"Maybe she just likes to have a place to escape to where she doesn't have to think about her life."

"What's wrong with my mother's life? She has everything she could possibly desire!" Draco seemed confused by her comment.

Walking over to a rose and bending to smell it, she replied with her eyes closed, "You can't buy happiness, Draco. You also can't bribe life to be nice to you, no matter how rich you are you can't stop the suffering and pain life brings."

"Suffering?" Draco stared at her, wondering what she was hinting at.

"Sometimes it takes a rose garden to show us our errs and follies." Eileen said, straightening up, "Seeing what could be and what isn't is a view not many of us concede to willingly, yet the simplest things can open our eyes to such things. You should stop to smell the roses once in a while too, Draco. It does wonders for the soul."

Draco didn't reply, instead he seemed to be watching her suspiciously as he went back to training her to call her broom and master it.

After a while of nearly futile practice - they had a brief delay when one of the brooms exploded unexpectedly - Eileen said abruptly, "It's been an hour, let's go inside and start studying. You put the equipment away and I'll get everything set up for our lesson."

"Yeah sure..." Draco watched her go inside as he slowly picked up the brooms and walked them to the wood shed.

They spent an hour working on Transfiguration homework, touching on spells that Draco had trouble remembering or getting right in general. For the next few days they went back and forth teaching each other, finding it a better method then spending the entire day indoors bored out of their minds with school. Before they knew it, it was Christmas Eve and the house was filled with the insanity of party planning. Narcissa was ordering house elves left and right to hang decorations all over the mansion and going over a list of guests due to arrive at the house in a matter of hours.

It was all the young ones could do to avoid being trampled by the rampaging housewife, making sure to be out of her way as they took their break in a room off the foyer.

"Is this normal around this time of the year?" Eileen asked, quite amused by the woman's sudden controlling behavior and ruthless wand waving.

"Yep, mother and father always have a party on Christmas Eve, invite all their friends and family...at least the ones they still talk to." Draco said dully, taking a bite out of a chocolate truffle he swiped from the dessert tray being put together in the kitchen.

"I take it they're picky about who they associate with." Eileen muttered, fondling an uneaten apple subconsciously.

"Well they don't mingle with riffraff, it's bad for one's image." Draco replied, turning his nose up as the shrill disapproval of his mother could be heard echoing through the halls.

"I see...what's riffraff?" Eileen asked curiously, blinking her big blue eyes at him.

"You sure are uncultured, aren't you?" Draco frowned before saying smartly, "Riffraff are undesirable people like the poor, squibs, mudbloods, or muggles, or anyone that supports such people."

"In other words, people who aren't pureblood and rich like you." Eileen cocked an eyebrow.

"Yep. Only the best of the best come to our party." Draco wandered around the room with a noble stride, feeling quite full of himself.

"Will any of the teachers at Hogwarts be attending?"

"The teachers always stay at the school for Christmas, since some of the students don't go home, someone has to stay and make sure they don't ruin the place while were gone. Why, do you miss your precious Snape?" Draco smirked mockingly.

"Do you want me to tell your father how you almost blew up his trophy case the other day?" Eileen didn't look amused.

"Blackmail! I didn't think you had it in you!" Draco laughed, obviously nervous about having his mishap revealed, "You better behave yourself tonight and be nice to the guests."

"I'm invited?" Eileen sounded more forlorn then excited.

"Of course, father wants you to meet some of his friends in the ministry, perhaps you can even get a tour of the facilities someday if you play your cards right."

"Why does your father want me to meet these people? I thought I was just here to tutor you."

"He thinks you have a lot of potential, that you could be a grand witch when you graduate." Draco didn't sound too pleased by the words coming from his mouth, as if he resented it.

"Is that so? I didn't think I was that special, I thought everyone thought I was a freak."

"A common misconception when dealing with freaks and geniuses."

"You don't say..." Eileen trailed off as she pondered, _I wonder if you think the same of your precious Voldemort._

"Children! The dinner is in 2 hours! Get dressed!" Narcissa blew into the room as her wave of decorations trailed after her.

Hurriedly, they escaped being adorned with garland and ran upstairs to do a little adorning of their own for the party.

Time flew as they hung out on the stairs and watched the insanity climax and slowly subside into a dull roar of feet. Lucius breezed in last minute to prepare as his wife nagged him about his tardiness, elves danced around the house setting tables and locking rooms to keep guests from wandering, lights went on all around the party-designated rooms; the doorbell rang.

"Our first guest!" Narcissa shooed the children down the stairs as she hurried to answer the door.

Lucius leapt down the stairs, straightening his ascot as he said, "Ah, who could it be?"

Opening the door, Narcissa ushered in a lumbering man that barely fit through the door, followed shortly by a smaller copy of him that Eileen was quite familiar with.

"Crabbe, old man! Glad you could make it! Come in, come in!" Lucius led the man into the parlor off the foyer to the right and left his son to entertain the younger Crabbe.

"What's she doing here?" Crabbe grunted, glaring down at Eileen as he towered at least a foot over her.

"Nevermind, let's go steal some snacks from the dining room." Draco left with his friend and Eileen immediately knew she was invisible to him tonight, not that she cared much.

Trying to escape upstairs, Narcissa called to her from the parlor and she reluctantly joined the party.

Hours of dull conversation and meetings wore Eileen out; the dinner bell was more than welcomed as the party adjourned to the dining hall.

As the guests seated themselves, Lucius took his place at the head of the table and tapped his knife against his glass to settle the chattering.

"Friends! I would like to make a toast in honor of our gathering! It warms my heart to see so many familiar faces together in one room," Lucius said boldly, his gaze going to each wizened face at the table in turn, "Let us hope that with this coming year, we will forge a new path to the future to better all of society. May the Knights of Walpurgis ride again!"

"Here here!" One of the many mysterious men hollered.

_Knights of Walpurgis? Who are they? _Eileen pondered as she pretended to toast along with them.

The night droned on as the inane babbling continued and the many slimy friends of the Malfoys subjected Eileen to more interviews. As the dinner finished and the guests slowly migrated back to the parlor for evening drinks, Eileen took that chance to slip away and hide from the crowds. Wandering off down the dark corridor running alongside the staircase and under the upstairs floor, she heard voices off in a side room and decided to investigate. Pressing her ear against the door, she listened closely to the conversation going on inside.

"I wish my mother would stop flirting with all the single men she sees, she's been married 7 times, you know!" The disgruntled voice of Blaise Zabini muttered.

"This whole party is stupid, I hate them, especially with her around." Draco commented.

"Why is she here, anyway? I thought you hated her."

"It wasn't my idea, father has this big plan to make her the next you-know-who, or at least carry on his ideals. I don't know how he thinks that will happen, seeing as she's befriended those Muggle-loving vermin in Gryffindor. It'll take a lot of lying and trickery to convince her to hate them too."

"She's completely insane! He's out of his mind if he thinks he can control her! She can't even control her own bloody powers!"

"I think that's the point, let her do the dirty work and stay out of the way. When she realizes what she's done, she'll probably off herself and they'll just blame it all on her!" Draco laughed.

"Like letting loose a tornado, brilliant!" Another voice chimed in.

"Yeah, stupid tornado!" Goyle chuckled dumbly.

"All they'd have to do is set her off somehow, probably kill off one of her friends and set someone up for the blame." Draco joked.

"They'll never know what hit them!" The room filled with more laughter as Eileen's heart raced.

Pulling away from the door, she felt the rage building inside her as everything they said went through her mind. They wanted to use her to fuel their war, and they'd stop at nothing to find the trigger that would set her off. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she fought off the rising urge to kill, running for the stairs to escape the laughter. She passed the parlor and Lucius caught sight of her, excusing himself from a conversation and slowly following her.

Running into her guestroom, she forgot to close the door as she ripped all her clothes out of the closet and threw them into her bag, startling the sleeping Kneazle.

"We're leaving, Mephi, I can't stay here another minute! Get your basket!" Eileen said furiously as she gathered the small piles of books and papers she'd brought with her to go over during the break.

Obeying, Mephistopheles leapt off the bed and crawled under the bed, pushing the basket with his head until it sat beside Eileen's foot. He leapt back onto the bed and waited patiently for his next orders as Eileen slammed the bag shut and looked up to see Lucius staring at her from the doorway.

"Miss Pierce, what are you doing?" Lucius inquired in shock.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but I can't stay. I promised my friends that I would spend the second half of Christmas break with them, I would have left today but I wanted to finish lessons with Draco." Eileen lied, trying to remain calm.

Lucius wasn't fooled, she could tell by the frown that he knew something was up but he said, "What friends?"

"You wouldn't know them, they're not your kind of people." Eileen tried not to give him a cruel smile as she picked up her bag and the wicker basket at her feet.

Mephistopheles jumped onto her shoulder and held on as she walked toward the door, stopping short as Lucius refused to move.

"Must you leave so soon? Couldn't you wait until morning?" Lucius smiled in an attempt to lure her into staying.

"I've played your games long enough, Mr. Malfoy, now I can either leave through the front door or of my own accord but I'm leaving one way or another." Eileen gave him a cold glare, her eyes fiery with the rage fighting to get free.

"Games? What games?" Lucius eyed her but soon learned he shouldn't have continued his act.

Like a slow burn, the telltale arches of red light grew around her as her hair danced around as if she were submerged in water.

In a low voice, she said, "Don't toy with me, you self-righteous inbred! Move or be moved!"

"If you use your magic outside school, you'll be expelled!" Lucius eyes widened as he watched the flames grow taller.

"I don't need my wand to deal with you." Her voice was hauntingly cold.

Without warning, Lucius found himself flying backward as if being drug by an invisible force and stopped against the opposite wall, watching her in shock as she walked to the stairs and descended them, the flames fanning off behind her in her wake. The house began to shake with each step she took down the stairs, chandeliers rattling nervously and threatening to be ripped from the ceilings. Pausing in the foyer, Eileen's aura glowed violently, as if she were on fire, burning with the rage she felt inside as she said, "Let this be a lesson to you all, I am NO ONE'S play thing! If you lay a finger on ANYone, I will hunt you down and ensure that you burn in Hell!"

The house creaked and moaned as wallpaper ripped off the walls, shredding as if a great beast were tearing it away. The lights flickered out and several house guests screamed in terror, cowering away from her growing aura.

The front door opened of its own accord and Eileen walked out, letting the door slam shut behind her as the effects of her magic dissipated, leaving the party to stare after her in the dark.

One of the men stepped into the foyer cautiously, gazing at the door and then up the stairs at the pale wizard gazing down at him.

"Plans...have changed." Lucius said, trying to regain his composure as he ran his fingers through his hair and walked down the stairs, pulling his wand out of his cane in order to fix the damage Eileen had caused to his house.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

The Weasley residence was quiet; all the children had gone to bed shortly after midnight to pretend to sleep. One red head could not even stand to hit the pillow as its owner leapt from bed and snuck down stairs for a snack and hopeful peek at the presents. As he crept past the front door, he heard a soft knock come from outside. Curious, he pulled aside the curtain over the window to see a familiar white head staring back at him.

"Dove?" The boy muttered in surprise. Quickly, he opened the door and pulled her inside, saying, "What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with the Malfoys."

"Fred, can I stay here for Christmas?" Eileen whispered, staring at the floor as Mephistopheles peered at the boy from around her hair.

"Why, what happened?" He blinked, a look of concern wrinkling his brow.

Eileen fell silent as a door creaked open upstairs, the echo of footsteps telling them they were no longer alone.

"What's going on down there? If you're trying to find the presents, I hid them extra good this year so don't both-oh, hello there." A groggy voice called out as a man came into view and turned on the lights with a wave of his wand.

"Dad, it's Eileen from school, she wants to stay for Christmas. Can she?" Fred asked.

Mr. Weasley glanced around his son at Eileen before muttering indecisively, "Well...we can't very well turn her out in the cold at this hour, show her to Ron's room and we'll talk about this in the morning when your mother's up."

"Come on, it's just up the stairs." Fred said as he took her things from her and led the way. They ascended the rickety staircase until they reached a door at the very top that Fred pushed open with his elbow.

Eileen found herself entering a cornucopia of Quidditch fandom, everything within the room being a rich orange color with posters decorating the walls and random collectibles sitting on the shelves and desk under the window overlooking the backyard.

Setting her belongings down next to the bed, Fred said, "Sorry to subject you to my brother's obsession, since he's still at school you're welcome to stay here. Just don't tell him you did or he'll have a fit, he doesn't like girls being in here."

Eileen was still quiet as she stared at the orange comforters blankly, her kneazle taking this opportunity to jump down and soften the bed a little with his paws.

Frowning, Fred whispered, "Are you okay?"

She quietly turned and embraced him in a hug, hiding her face in his pajama shirt and causing him to blush in surprise. Softly she said, "I hope your father's not mad about me popping in uninvited."

"Nonsense, dad wouldn't care, he's been wanting to properly meet you anyway! Besides, you're always welcome here, as long as you don't mind a busy house." Fred chuckled, hugging her back.

A creak echoed up the stairs forewarning Mr. Weasley's approach and Fred quickly said, "I'll head him off so he doesn't bother you, goodnight!"

Ducking out of the room, he quietly shut the door and left Eileen staring at the floor in silence.

For a minute she didn't move, still dazed from the rush of fleeing the Malfoy residence and catching the Knight Bus to the Weasleys. She didn't quite know why she came here instead of the school but she didn't wish to apparate all the way there; in fact, she didn't want to use magic at all that night, not after nearly losing control earlier.

Slowly, she walked over to the window and gazed out over the moonlit countryside, seeing the vague outlines of houses in the distance and wondering if they too housed wizarding families. A low mew from behind her woke her from her trance. Looking back, she saw her kneazle lying on the bed lazily pawing the bed in a slow raking motion as if to tell her to come to bed.

"At least you can sleep, you didn't almost kill a bunch of people tonight." Eileen said to him as she settled next to him reluctantly and began to kick off her shoes. She was still wearing one of Narcissa's dresses from the party, her meager robe hiding most of it from view and hopefully from the men whom welcomed her into the house. Desperate to put the event behind her, she changed into her nightgown and crawled under the covers, staring at the ceiling unable to sleep for fear of nightmares reenacting the evening in more dramatic ways. Snape's teachings drifted into her mind and she began to practice her Occlumency to collect her frazzled emotions and calm down, spending the rest of the night meditating in her void.

OoOoOoOo

Morning came quickly as doors up and down the stairs opened to release sleepy children and parents to the joy of Christmas. Eileen wasn't sure if she wanted to get up but she heard a knock on the door as it opened just enough for Ginny Weasley to peek her head in and say, "So you really are here, I heard dad talking about you. We're having breakfast if you want to come down and join us, I'll find you another chair."

She quickly left and allowed Eileen time to gather her strength to rise and dress herself, putting on her usual threadbare clothes and wrapping her scarf around her neck as she slipped into a pair of warm socks. Shuffling to the door, she heard the patter of feet following her and looked down to see the kneazle staring up at her.

"You wanna come to breakfast too? I don't know if they'll let you but okay." Eileen whispered before opening the door and heading down to the kitchen. As she stepped off the last step, she was greeted by a multitude of redheaded men and women, all chattering away about this and that. She only recognized the twins and their sister, slowly recalling that another was their brother Percy, his disheveled appearance confusing her at first. There were two older men at the table besides the parents that she did not know, one with the looks of a long-haired playboy and the other being stocky and rugged as if he were a mountain man.

"Oi, Dove, come sit down! You too, Mephi!" Fred called out to them, motioning to a seat between him and George.

She sat with her kneazle in her lap who was eyeing the crowd of strange people curiously as well as sniffing the air to take in the delicious scents.

"I'm glad we get to meet you again, Eileen, after last time's happenstance! I hear you're staying with us for Christmas? Hopefully you won't mind the crowded conditions, we have all the family home save for little Ronald." Mrs. Weasley said as she fluttered over to the table with a fresh plate of sausages.

"Look on the bright side, there'll be more food to go around!" George sneered as he speared a sausage off the plate.

"Hush!" Mrs. Weasley scorned before saying kindly, "Eat as much as you like, dear, but eat quick before the boys beat you to it!"

"You haven't met our oldest sons, Bill and Charlie. Charlie works with dragons in Romania and Bill works at the Gringotts bank in Egypt." Mr. Weasley announced, motioning to them in turn with a proud grin.

"Nice to meet you." Charlie smiled, sounding quite amiable despite his gruff appearance.

"Oi, how come the twins always get the cute ones?" Bill teased, leaning over to scarf a mouthful of oatmeal, a dragon tooth earring dangling from his ear.

"Maybe if you cut your hair, girls would date you." Mrs. Weasley glared at the ponytail that hung over her son's shoulder.

"He's too busy to date, got all those goblins ordering him about!" Fred joked as the table broke out in laughter.

For the first time in days, Eileen smiled. She'd never met such a lively and loving family before, she wanted to stay forever. Soon, breakfast came to an end and everyone spread out around the house, helping to clean the dishes or do random work around the house while they were there, or just spending time catching up. Fred and George took to entertaining Eileen upstairs in their room, showing her various experiments they had going on. They exchanged ideas and plotted together for a while before Mr. Weasley came up and interrupted.

"Excuse me, boys, but would you mind if I borrowed Eileen for a bit?"

"Um..." Fred glanced at her and she nodded, "Sure but don't keep her too long, we were just starting to have fun!"

"Alright, but if you blow up part of the house again you'll be in a heap of trouble!" Mr. Weasley wagged his finger as Eileen walked across the room to follow him downstairs. He led her to the dining room table that was now clear and unoccupied, his wife joining them shortly after finishing up a stack of plates. Settling into a chair, Mr. Weasley said, "We want you to know that you are more than welcome to stay with us, our house is always open. We were a bit concerned though, we were under the impression you were to be spending Christmas break with the Malfoys. Did something happen?"

"I just...didn't want to be there anymore, I wanted to spend time with Fred and George like I was suppose to originally." Eileen muttered, staring at her lap.

"Well, who could blame you, dear, I wouldn't want to spend time with that family either." Mrs. Weasley huffed, "Right shameful bunch! Why on earth did you go in the first place?"

"Draco's father asked me to tutor his son since he'd been falling behind in a few classes." Eileen explained.

"Really? That's a surprise, though I guess it really isn't with all the fooling around their child does." Mr. Weasley commented, "We don't mean to pry into your business but you seemed upset last night, if there's anything you want to tell us or talk about don't be afraid to speak up!"

"Yes, anything at all. Consider yourself a part of the family, dear." Mrs. Weasley added with a caring smile.

Eileen gazed at them in wonder, saying, "You're very kind, I've never met such caring people like you before. You don't even know me..."

"That doesn't matter, you're a friend of our children and that's enough for us." Mrs. Weasley assured her.

"I'm...grateful..." Eileen bowed her head again, her white hair falling over her face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, "Thank you."

"Oh, you poor dear, there's no need for that! Come here." Mrs. Weasley scooted over to her and embraced her in a warm hug as she began to cry, gently patting her back and she tried to soothe her pain with soft coos.

"What happened? Why's she crying?" Bill asked as he walked into the room from the back yard.

"She's had a rough week." Mr. Weasley said quietly as he sat by and watched his wife try to calm Eileen.

"Well, that won't do, such a pretty little girl shouldn't be crying. Why don't you tell us what's wrong, Eileen? Maybe we can help." Bill sat next to her and spoke in a sweet voice.

Sniffing she muttered from Mrs. Weasley's bosom, "Nobody can help me, I'm better off being alone and far away from everyone else!"

"Well you obviously don't know my family very well! If anyone can understand hardships it's my folks here! Raising seven kids and putting them all through wizarding school is no meager feat! They're the most generous people I've ever met, not a soul they wouldn't do their best to help out of a jam!" Bill told her in a passionate tone.

"Bill's right, don't count us out just yet! The Weasleys always help those in need, wizard and muggle alike." Mr. Weasley concurred.

"You're...too kind." She sniffed, trying to regain her composure.

"So what's troubling you, Eileen?" Bill asked, giving her a kind smile.

Hesitating for a moment, she muttered, "I...I don't know if I should say, you might be in danger if I do."

"In danger? Merlin's beard, what could it be?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Knowing the Malfoys, nothing good. It's a shame we're related to them." Mrs. Weasley scoffed.

Looking up curiously, Eileen said, "You're related?"

"Distantly, Draco's mother is from the Black family, as is dear Grandma Prewett. Hardly a wizard or witch these days that isn't related in some way, what with the obsession over marrying purebloods."

"Black..." There was that name again, she assumed Sirius must be related to them as well and wondered if they knew him, "Did you know Sirius?"

Looking a little awkward at this question, Mr. Weasley said, "Yes, he was a dear friend of the family."

"I see..." She mused on this knowledge as the Weasleys shifted awkwardly in their seats.

"My dear, you said we would be in danger if you told us what was wrong, what ever do you mean? Who would hurt us?" Mrs. Weasley tried to get back to the subject at hand.

"Me." She muttered.

"You? My word, why would you do such a thing!" Mr. Weasley looked confused.

"Not on purpose!" Eileen sat up and looked flustered, "I...I can't control my magic."

"Maybe your wand is malfunctioning, it could be that it's not made for you if it's a hand-me-down." Bill commented.

"It's not the wand, it's me. I'm too powerful for my own good...for anyone's good."

"What ever do you mean? I heard you were top of your class but you don't seem to be having any trouble." Mrs. Weasley commented, looking a little surprised.

Eileen remembered being told not to trust anyone but something inside told her that these people could be trusted, even perhaps with her life. She got up from her chair and looked around the room, spotting a chair sitting by the back door with a broken leg and shabby looking cushions and pointed to it, saying, "See that chair? I can fix it."

"My dear, that chair has so many charms on it from those boys of ours, it's completely - " Mrs. Weasley began to comment on her choice of demonstration.

Without use of her wand or words, the chair magically repaired itself and looked like new again, sliding across the room to come to a stop next to Mr. Weasley as everyone watched in wonder.

"Unbelievable! Where's your wand?" Mr. Weasley exclaimed, looking the chair over and finding nothing wrong with it.

"It's upstairs, I don't really need to use it but it's usually safer if I do. Though if I used it just now, I'd probably find myself getting a warning from the ministry for using my magic outside Hogwarts." Eileen explained with a sigh.

"Of course...but it's very hard for anyone to use magic without a wand, how did you do it?" Mr. Weasley asked in awe of her work.

"I don't really know, I've always had the ability to do unexplainable things by just thinking about it."

"Well every witch or wizard has that problem, it's hardly anything to worry about." Mrs. Weasley added.

"But not every witch or wizard has almost killed people without realizing it." Eileen muttered just as Fred and George came down the stairs to investigate. They met gazes and they looked worried as they saw the look of guilt on her face.

"Almost killed someone? Good heavens, what are you saying?" Mr. Weasley looked surprised.

Fred and George exchanged nervous looks before Eileen backed away from them and said, "I almost killed George this year."

"What?" Mrs. Weasley blinked, looking from them to Eileen and back again.

"It was an accident, really! I thought we weren't going to talk about it again, Eileen." Fred tried to keep everyone calm but Mrs. Weasley was already past reasoning.

"What in Merlin's name were you doing to have caused such a thing to happen? Why didn't you tell me? Answer me, George!" Mrs. Weasley shouted in a high pitched voice.

"It was just a misunderstanding, mum! I'm fine now, see? Fit as a fiddle!" George flailed his arms about to demonstrate his wellness.

"Come on, we've had worse happen! Remember that time four years ago in the back yard?" Fred tried to change the subject.

"Yeah, with the car?" George chimed in.

"And the ferret?" Fred added.

"That's beside the point, you didn't tell me about THIS time." Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips.

"Aww, mum, haven't you ever heard the saying 'what happens at Hogwarts stays at Hogwarts'?" Fred tried to smile but his mother's harsh expression wiped it right off.

"No and you two are in big trouble! You might be alive now but you'll wish you weren't in a minute!" Mrs. Weasley began to reach for her wand when her husband took her arm, motioning to Eileen and silencing the argument.

They all turned to see that she was choking back tears and covering her ears as if attempting to block out the arguing.

"Eileen, we don't blame you for what happened!" Fred said, hurrying the rest of the way down the stairs to her side, "Please don't cry, it was an accident, you know that."

"Your mother's mad, you're fighting, it's my fault." Eileen choked out through clenched teeth, a bit of a blue aura glowing about her and startling the members of the family who weren't accustomed to it.

"Nah, we always fight like this, it wouldn't be home if we didn't drive mum up the wall!" Fred chuckled in an attempt to ease her sadness, "Mum's not angry, she's just worried about us, that's all. Look at me..."

She turned her tear-filled eyes to him and he wiped the stains from her cheeks slowly, saying, "My brother and I have probably almost killed each other many times over the years, it's an occupational hazard. Don't let one or two occasions make you think you're a killer or that there's no hope for change. Everyone sucks at controlling magic at first, it takes years of practice and training to become great; even the smartest witches make mistakes...just ask Hermione."

"But George's not the only one I've almost killed...I have killed..." Eileen muttered.

The room fell silent as Mr. Weasley decided to step in, saying, "What happened?"

"I...I went in the Forbidden forest...the spiders attacked me...I didn't know what to do..." Eileen gasped out, beginning to remember what happened the day before Snape's birthday.

"Spiders?" Mr. Weasley looked confused but the twins immediately knew what she was talking about, having explored the forbidden forest themselves quite a lot.

"Woah, you ran into those things? When?" George exclaimed as he leapt down the stairs and stood next to his brother.

"Ran into what things? What are these spiders you're talking about?" Mrs. Weasley joined in, fretting.

"Acromantulas! There's a bunch living in the forbidden forest! They're really cool but they don't really like visitors." Fred explained.

"WHAT? What were you doing in the forbidden forest? It's called forbidden for a reason, you know!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, huffing.

"Oh please, everyone goes in there, they just tell you not to cause of liability." George waved her off.

"And it's dangerous!"

"That's half the fun! You went in there, Dove? Did you see the centaurs?" Fred sounded very excited to know she had a naughty side too.

"Well...yes...but they don't like me either, they told me to stay out." Eileen sighed, the change of subject helping to distract her from the pain of that night.

"Yeah, they're not very friendly to humans, rather arrogant creatures." George commented.

"I think we have a lot to discuss about rules, boys. Why don't we all sit down and talk about this a little more? Molly dear, take a breath, you're turning blue." Mr. Weasley said, ushering everyone to seats around the table and calming his wife who was growing furious as the twins rambled on about their gallivants through the forest.

As everyone settled and Mrs. Weasley tried to calm herself with the reassurance of later punishing her children, Mr. Weasley turned to Eileen and said, "Now, why were you in the forest?"

Hesitating, Eileen gathered her courage and began to tell her story to the Weasley family, explaining in detail every moment she could remember of the ordeal. From there, she expanded on her reasons for entering the forest and further explained her own life without revealing too much, careful to keep those involved safe from incrimination. By the time she finished explaining her life story, the other members of the Weasley family had gathered to listen and did so in rapt silence, occasionally interjecting with a question or two. Never had she been able to tell people about her past in such detail without feeling judged, she finally felt the weight of her secrets lifted from her as she finished the story and let out a sigh of relief.

Staring in wonder, the twins said in unison, "Wow."

"My dear, have you told Dumbledore about this?" Mr. Weasley asked after her explanation of her stay with the Malfoys.

"No, I haven't spoken to anyone else about this." Eileen confessed, remembering the pile of letters to Snape hiding in her trunk, not having had a chance to send them to him yet.

"Perhaps it's best that you talk to him, this sounds serious. I can take you to see him tonight if you feel up to it."

"Isn't this a matter for the ministry to handle?" Mrs. Weasley commented.

"If what Eileen's told us is accurate, then those people all have their hands in the ministry, bringing it to light will do nothing but make them go into hiding. If these Knights of Walpurgis are who I think they are then this situation is far more dangerous than it seems."

"Dear, you don't mean they're..." Mrs. Weasley gasped.

"They could be," Mr. Weasley said grimly, "Deatheaters."

"But he's dead! Why would they have cause to rise up again?" Mrs. Weasley's voice was full of fear as she clutched Ginny close.

"From what I gather, they mean to use Eileen's powers to start another war, we can't let that happen. We need to bring this incident to Dumbledore's attention and consider the possibility that we have to bring back the Order. If they do plan to start another war, we need to be prepared...and we need to protect Eileen." Mr. Weasley turned his attention to her, "We can't let them get their hands on you, for everyone's sake."

Eileen nodded and Fred stood suddenly, saying boldly, "George and I will protect her! No one's laying a hand on our little Dove!"

"That's right! We'll watch over her!" George stood as well and gave her a smile.

"You boys..." Mrs. Weasley sounded somewhat proud of them and they were glad she wasn't thinking about killing them anymore.

"Then it's settled, tonight after dinner we'll pay Dumbledore a visit and you can tell him what happened. Now, we have a holiday to celebrate, I think we could all use a bit of fun right now! Boys, break out the fireworks!" Mr. Weasley said, trying to distract from the solemn news.

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Fred grinned as he ran upstairs with his brother.

"Eileen, would you like to help me prepare dinner? I could use the extra pair of hands since it's so late!" Mrs. Weasley asked, getting up to begin her busy rush around the kitchen.

"I'd be delighted." Eileen smiled, glad to be a part of a real family for once. They all set out to prepare a fabulous celebration to enjoy before that night's appointment, eager for one last hoorah before the imminent danger the following year had in store for them all.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty

That Christmas night, while many students and teachers were tucked warmly into their beds, the Headmaster was up in his office awaiting Eileen and Mr. Weasley. They arrived through his fireplace sometime after midnight, being welcomed to sit at his desk as he paced around the room in thought. Eileen explained the happenings at the Malfoy mansion as he listened intently and wandered around the room, finishing to sit in silence as he thought about what she had told him.

Finally, the headmaster took his seat behind the desk and said, "This could prove to be a threat in the future, if what you say is true and they have plans of starting the war again."

"Do you think it would be wise to inform the others of this?" Mr. Weasley asked seriously.

"Let's keep an eye on the Malfoys for now and wait for more signs, as much as I'd hate to admit it, the word of a child isn't enough to incriminate them. But it was good of you to tell us, Eileen. At least now we know to watch them carefully over the next few months."

"What should we do about Eileen? They want to use her as some sort of weapon, we can't let that happen." Mr. Weasley said, looking at her worriedly.

"Of course not, I will speak to Professor Snape about giving her lessons on controlling her abilities so that she's less likely to do their will." Dumbledore explained.

The mention of Snape caused Eileen's heart to race. She had left him out of the loop all break because of what Lucius had said about him to his son, she wasn't sure if she could trust him now. Hesitant to mention it to Dumbledore, she nervously shifted in her seat and caught his attention.

Curious, Dumbledore asked, "Is there something else on your mind, Miss Pierce?"

"No, sir, I'm just tired. It's been a long day and I didn't sleep well last night." Eileen partially lied.

"It's understandable, after the events you've been through I would be too. If you'd like you can stay here and begin working with the professor while you have his undivided attention, or you could continue your stay with the Weasleys and come back with everyone else in a week."

"I'd like to stay with the Weasleys, if it's okay with them." Eileen said meekly.

"Of course, dear, we'd love to have you." Mr. Weasley smiled.

"Then it's settled. I will see you again at the end of break, we can continue our discussion of your advanced training then. A wonderful week to both of you and your family." Dumbledore said before rising to see them to the fireplace.

"You too, Dumbledore. I hope we won't have to meet again under such circumstances." Mr. Weasley said as he handed the Floo Powder to Eileen.

"My hopes are the same." Dumbledore sighed as they departed for home.

OoOoOoOo

The rest of Christmas break was stress-free and uneventful, save for the occasional mishap and mayhem the twins caused with their experiments. It seemed like time passed all too quickly when the day of returning came. Students crowded the train platform as they hurried to board the train to Hogwarts, saying their farewells to family as they headed off to another semester of school.

"Don't forget to contact us if you ever need anything, dear." Mrs. Weasley said to Eileen after she gave the twins her usual lecture to behave, which they naturally forgot.

"I will, thank you so much for everything, I don't know how to thank you." Eileen said.

"Just do your best to train and learn to overcome all your greatest fears!" Mr. Weasley said with a smile.

"And stay out of trouble." Mrs. Weasley added.

"With these two around?" Eileen motioned to the twins who grinned proudly, "I'll try but I can't promise anything."

"We'd better hurry before all the good seats are taken! Later, mum!" Fred said, grabbing Eileen's hand and pulling her onto the train as she shouted her farewell to the Weasley parents.

The train ride passed quickly as the children talked and joked around the entire time, continuing their pranks all the way to the carriages as firecrackers went whizzing off into the air randomly, scaring a crowd of 1st years.

"Happy Back From Christmas Day, everyone!" George shouted before Eileen pulled him into the carriage, trying to avoid detention so soon after arriving.

"Yet another semester, I wonder if those dementors are still around." Fred said, glancing out the window.

"They are, I can feel them." Eileen sighed, rubbing her arm as a chill ran through her.

"Blimey, how long are they going to stay here? Haven't they caught that Black fellow yet?" Fred scowled.

"Kind of ruins your faith in the judicial system, doesn't it?" George commented.

"Indeed, I think they're just enjoying ruining OUR lives." Fred sighed.

"I saw one going after Neville last year, I think it wanted to make out with him."

"The kiss of DOOM!"

"Oooo!!"

"Knock it off." Eileen glared at them and they laughed.

The carriage came to a stop at the front steps of the school and the students filed into the great hall, dropping their luggage off in the foyer before heading upstairs. The hall was already packed with students as they settled in for dinner, talking amongst themselves as they waited. Finally, the teachers settled themselves and dinner was underway, feeding the starving travelers and filling the room with the clinks of glasses and silverware on plates.

Eileen finished first and bid her friends goodnight as she slipped out of the room and headed for the dungeons.

"Where are you going all alone?" A familiar voice called out behind her and she turned to see Lupin strolling up to her.

"Professor Lupin! I was just going to my room." Eileen smiled as he approached.

"I was told that you weren't to go anywhere by yourself, Dumbledore's orders." He said, escorting her down the stairs.

"So you know about that too?" Eileen sighed.

"All the teachers do, it's quite a serious situation. You know Dumbledore is considering moving you." Lupin said casually.

"Moving me? Where?" Eileen looked surprised.

"To a different house, he's worried that Draco might try something while were not looking and thought it best you be as far away from him as possible."

"Another house? How is that possible, I thought once you were sorted, that was the end of it!" Eileen said in surprise.

"Dumbledore's the headmaster, he can change anything if he feels it's necessary. Safety comes first, tradition second."

"Where is he moving me to?"

"Ravenclaw, actually, it's lacking in students at the moment and has a free bed for you to fill. I'm afraid Gryffindor is jam-packed." Lupin chuckled, knowing she'd want to go there.

"I see...when will I be moved?" Eileen asked in a dejected tone.

"Tonight, actually, that's why I was following you. If you'd like to follow me to your new house I'll get you acquainted with the students and new head." Lupin smiled, waving his hand back toward the stairs.

"But my things - " She started.

"Are already waiting for you in your new room." Lupin answered quickly, heading back up the stairs.

Unable to find anything else to complain about, she followed him back up the stairs and to her new dormitory. It was about as far away from the Slytherin common room as she figured she could get, up several flights of stairs to the seventh floor and from there across the castle to a tall tower in the west corner of the structure. They passed many Ravenclaws along the way until Eileen spotted one boy she knew rather well.

"Lucas!" Eileen called out as she passed him.

"Eileen, hello! What are you doing up here?" Lucas returned her greeting and hurried over to her.

"I've been moved, I'm a Ravenclaw now! Professor Lupin was just showing me to my new dorm." Eileen motioned to Lupin as they walked.

"Really? I didn't know you could change houses! That's fantastic!" Lucas beamed.

"Yes, I suppose so." Eileen smiled back.

"So you have a friend in Ravenclaw? That's good, at least you won't be alone then. I'll leave you to get settled in then, if your friend is willing to give you a tour?" Lupin smiled to Lucas.

"Of course, Id be delighted to!" Lucas returned the smile before they said goodnight to Lupin. Entering the room, Lucas began to point everything out to her and introduce her to a few of the friends he had made in the house.

"Miss Pierce, I hear you've come to join us!" The short professor Flitwick hovered into the room to welcome her, "I hope you will find our house warm and welcoming! If you need anything, my office is just down the hall to the right, just pop in whenever! Here's your new class schedule."

"Thank you, professor." Eileen bowed before looking at it in surprise, "Sir, these are 5th year classes. I'm not a 5th year."

"Professor Dumbledore felt that your current knowledge of magic warranted a graduation. Starting tomorrow, you will be learning on a 5th year level. I'm hoping you have the required books?" Flitwick explained.

"Mostly, yes..." She stared in awe of her schedule, having not expected any of this.

"Well if there are any books you are lacking, I'm sure you can find someone who will be willing to share. I'll leave you to get acquainted, goodnight."

"Goodnight, sir." She mumbled before Lucas drug her off to meet more people.

Pulling her over to an older girl with rather long brown hair, he said, "This is my sister Page, she's a 5th year! Page, this is Eileen!"

"It's nice to finally meet the girl that my brother speaks so fondly of." Page smiled, causing her brother to blush, "I can show you to your room if you like, I assume you haven't been told where it is yet."

"That would be wonderful, thank you. I'll see you in the morning, Lucas." Eileen waved to him as she followed Page up the stairs to the girls dorms.

Halfway up the stairs she stopped and showed her into a room that was partially occupied already, saying, "Welcome to the 5th year dorm! I hope you don't mind terribly, having us older girls around!"

"Your cat is adorable! What's his name?" One of the girls giggled as she made a feather dance over the kneazle's head with magic, squealing as the cat tried to bat it out of the air.

"Mephistopheles; he hasn't attacked you?" Eileen seemed surprised by his kitten-like behavior.

"No, not at all! I hope you don't mind that we let him out, he looked so uncomfortable in that basket." Another girl smiled as she walked over to Eileen, "Cheryl Applegate, at your service! That's Penelope over there in the corner, she's a Prefect. If you need to know anything, she can help you out!"

"We've met...sort of." Eileen said simply as Penelope looked up from a book to wave before realizing who it was and staring in awe.

"You've got the bed next to me!" Cheryl grinned, "Page is on the other side of you, boy are we gonna have fun!"

"You'll have to excuse Cheryl, she ate too much sugar at dinner." Page smirked as the girl pouted.

"I did not! I'm just naturally perky!" Cheryl protested, "I'm also a serious bookworm so if you ever need any help with schoolwork, you just come find me!"

"Haven't you heard? She's smarter than all of us put together." Page added.

"Wow, then I guess I'll be coming to you then!" Cheryl laughed as the other girls chimed in.

Blushing, Eileen said modestly, "I'm not that good."

"Oh please, don't be so modest! Oh hey, you can't wear that here!" Cheryl pointed to her Slytherin robes, "Your new school clothes are on your bed, change so we can burn the Slytherin colors in effigy!"

"Cheryl, that's a waste of clothing, don't be silly." One of the girls said sternly.

"You're no fun, Winnie!" Cheryl pouted again before bouncing over to the girl's bed and pouncing onto it, sending the girl flying to the floor.

"Augh, you terror! They should move you to Gryffindor!" Winnie complained as she rubbed her backside.

"I can tell this is going to be an interesting semester." Eileen muttered as she watched the girls bicker and laugh before she changed out of her old school uniform.

That night was quiet and uneventful, save for the pillow fight Cheryl started in honor of Eileen's arrival - mostly because she had some energy still to expel. Eileen lay awake in her bed pondering her new situation, wondering if it would honestly change anything or if she'd have to sit with them now at meals. The twins would be upset about it, that's for sure, but the person that she figured would be most disturbed was Snape. Had he been told of her move? Only time would tell as she turned in her bed and settled into a deep sleep.

OoOoOoOo

"Morning, sleepy head!" Cheryl woke Eileen with her boisterous greeting, all her energy back with a vengeance.

Moaning, Eileen pulled the covers over her head and said, "They shouldn't let you sleep."

"Ah, you'll get used to it! Either that or you'll learn to wake up before I do." Cheryl chuckled as she skipped off to gather her books for the day.

Eileen slowly rolled out of bed and rubbed her eyes, yawning lazily. Glancing down at her dresser, she saw the class schedule that Flitwick had given her the night before and noticed that she had none of the same classes she once did.

"This is going to take some getting use to" Eileen muttered as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Page came around the bed to look at the paper.

"Having the same classes as you guys, I'm only in my second year here."

"Maybe they realized how smart you are and decided to give you a leg up, you should be glad, you get to graduate early!" Page smiled.

Pondering this new concept, she got dressed and headed down to breakfast with the other Ravenclaws. When she got there, she saw the twins lurking in the hallway just outside the great hall, most likely waiting for her to come up from the dungeons.

When they saw her coming from the direction they had come from their dorm, they exchanged surprised looks before approaching.

"Oi, Dove, what's going on?" Fred asked.

"Why are you wearing Ravenclaw robes?" George added.

"She's a Ravenclaw now! Got moved just last night!" Cheryl grinned, putting her arm around Eileen's shoulders.

"What!" The boys shouted in unison.

"Yep! She'll be sitting with us now, not with those stuffy Slytheries!"

"But - " Fred sputtered.

"We're your - " George stammered.

"Why didn't you - "

"I didn't know until last night either!" Eileen tried to calm them, waving her hands frantically.

"She's also a 5th year now." Cheryl added.

"WHAT? How!" They gawked.

"The teachers reassigned me, I didn't ask for it!" Eileen fretted.

"Why couldn't they make you a Gryffindor?" Fred whined.

"We could have gone to the same classes!" George pouted.

"What are you, her boyfriends?" Cheryl cocked an eyebrow.

"Even better: we're her bodyguards!" Fred pulled her free of Cheryl's grip and put his arm around her.

"Got a problem with that?" George put one arm around Eileen as well and his other hand on his hip as he leaned close to glare at Cheryl.

"Aren't you a little old to be hitting on 12 year old girls?" Cheryl smirked, crossing her arms.

"Nope!" Fred grinned back.

Blushing, Eileen said, "Can we just go to breakfast? You're causing a scene!"

"Sure thing, Dove! Let's go!" Fred and George turned to haul her off to their table.

"You can tell us everything while we eat!" George added, glancing over his shoulder to stick his tongue out at Cheryl who returned to gesture.

"I'm not sure I know what's going on either." Eileen sighed as she sat down and began to eat with the twins at the Gryffindor table, filling them in as much as she could before having to set out for her new advanced classes.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-one

Eileen found her first day as a 5th year quite invigorating, her classes actually proving to be slightly challenging. Eager to take her homework to the library for a bit of studying, she crossed paths with Lupin on her way in from Herbology.

"Oh, Professor Lupin! Good afternoon." Eileen smiled.

"You seem happy, are you enjoying your new classes?" Lupin returned the joyful greeting as they walked into the castle together.

"Yes, very much! I actually learned a few new things this morning in class! I can't wait to be in your advanced class, professor, what sort of things do you teach to 5th years?" Eileen's eyes sparkled.

"That you will have to find out for yourself tomorrow!" Lupin threw her a wink before saying, "Oh, I had a message for you from your potions master."

"Is that so?" Eileen had forgotten that she hadn't seen him at all since she'd returned.

"Yes, he requested your presence in your practice room at 8 PM tonight, he didn't say what it was for though."

Her heart sank: Occlumency lessons. With everything she'd been worrying about she'd forgotten to practice clearing her mind and she was sure that Snape would take advantage of the situation to find out what she'd been up to.

"I see..." Eileen slumped a little as she walked.

"Well, I've got to hurry, I have a meeting with Dumbledore. See you tomorrow in class!" Lupin waved as he hurried down the hallway and disappeared up a flight of stairs.

Eileen continued on to dinner and poked her way through a meal before heading back to the dorm to drop her things off. Reluctantly, she began her journey across the castle to the dungeon, almost being late because of the time that it took to get there. Quietly, she opened the door and peeked in to see if Snape was waiting, which he was.

"I suppose Lupin is good for something." Snape muttered as he stood from his leaning position against a table in the middle of the room.

"He said you wanted to see me, he didn't specify why." Eileen said simply, standing a few feet from him.

"Well, I figured you would have come to me earlier but I guess being in another house can be time consuming." Snape crossed his arms.

"It wasn't my choice, Dumbledore moved me!" Eileen defended herself.

"Why?" Snape frowned.

Blinking in surprise, she said, "What do you mean why? He didn't...?"

"Didn't what?"

_He never told him...Doesn't he trust him? _Eileen thought as Snape eyed her curiously.

"Well, after everything that's happened, he thought it would be best that I not be in Slytherin anymore, seeing as no one wants me there anyway." Eileen lied.

"You're not telling me something. You said you would send me letters during winter break, I never received any news from you. I was worried something happened." Snape said with a look of concern, "Not even a Merry Christmas, were you having that much fun that you completely forgot about me?"

"I'm sorry, Severus, I just...got distracted." Eileen stared at the floor as she tucked one arm behind her back, grasping her elbow nervously.

Sniffing indignantly, Snape said, "Well, hopefully you at least got in some practice while you were gone. Let's begin."

"Yes, sir." Eileen assumed a dueling stance, clearing her mind as best she could before Snape could get a chance to attack her.

"_Legilimens_." Snape said sharply, barely invading her mind before she forced him back out. Seeing a brief flash from her Quidditch lessons with Draco, Snape said curiously, "What was that? I thought you were tutoring him."

"It was an arrangement we had in order to make sessions more endurable; can we get back to the lesson?" Eileen was trying harder now to clear her mind, feeling confident enough that she was completely thoughtless and ready for attack.

Beginning to circle her like a hawk, Snape watched her curiously before saying, "I bet you enjoyed your vacation with the Malfoys."

Her focus was broken for a split second before Snape shouted, "_Legilimens_!"

A flash of the first evening at their house crossed her mind before she quickly dismissed it and shut him out.

"You're tricking me!" Eileen complained, her eyes shut now.

"Part of closing your mind to someone is maintaining your focus no matter what they say to you." Snape continued to circle her, "Imagine that you are being interrogated by the Dark Lord himself. He wants to know what you were doing out of his sight, whether you had done the job he sent you out to do or if you had betrayed him. You know that you had been feeding information to the other side but you don't want him to know that, so you try to close your mind to him. As he talks to you, he mentions the names of witches and wizards on the opposing side, watching you closely for a reaction that would tell him that you had remembered something. He would only have to look into your soul for that split second to know that you had betrayed him because you had betrayed yourself with the simple mention of a name or place. In the field of battle, there are no fair games or second chances, it's lie or die."

"Are you speaking from experience?" Eileen watched him now, yet he did not respond, crossing the room to stand near the table.

Facing her, he said, "Like the Dark Lord, there are many witches and wizards who work for him in secret, people that would love to get their hands on you and anything you know. If you can't close your mind to them, you might as well turn yourself over before they inflict any curses on you."

"How do you know if someone is trustworthy or not?" Eileen asked.

"By mastering the power of Legilimency yourself. If you can master both sides of the coin, you can spin a web of deceit and unveil their secrets before they even realize you've picked their brain clean." Snape said, almost smiling.

"But who would trust you if they knew you had that ability?" Eileen frowned.

"Well you're not going to walk around with a sign on your back that says 'I can read your mind', not unless you wanna find out what the Killing Curse feels like." Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine, shall we give it another try then?" Eileen said, more determined this time to shut him out. Taking a deep breath, she focused all her energy into completely shutting herself down emotionally, locking gazes with Snape as he paced around in front of her.

"What did you do during your winter break?" Snape asked in a dead tone.

"I danced in the pale moonlight with gnomes." Eileen blatantly lied.

"Was one of these gnomes named Draco?"

"No, but one did fake a broken leg."

"What else did you do?"

"I traveled to America and saw the Eiffel tower."

"The Eiffel tower is in France."

"Of course it is." Eileen did not blink once, too afraid to take her eyes off him for a second.

He eyed her curiously before asking, "Did you see your father there?"

"My...father?" She was caught off guard, not expecting such a question to come up.

"_Legi_-" Snape started but she knew better than to give him a chance to say it.

"_Protego_!" Eileen shouted, using the spell against him and reading his mind first. She saw a flash of Lucius visiting Snape the night of the party, shortly before Lucius returned home. They were speaking in harsh tones for a moment before the memory faded and she was forced back out.

Panting, Snape leaned against the table, saying, "Very...good...you've gotten stronger since we last...did this."

"Why was Lucius here? What did you two talk about?" Eileen asked with a frown.

"Leprechauns." Snape remarked snidely.

"I'm serious, Severus."

"So am I."

"Fine, if that's how it's going to be; _Legilimens_!" Eileen tried to invade his mind but he'd already hidden the memory away.

"Honestly, that's a poor way to invade a person's mind, you have to get them to open up first." Snape rolled his eyes.

"You mean like mentioning that I think you want to use me as some cataclysmic weapon against Muggle society?" Eileen rambled quickly.

"What? Where on Earth would you get that idea?" Snape stared at her in surprise.

"Why wouldn't you? I'm a loose cannon, you're my father figure, obviously over time you could mold me to do your will and together we would destroy all of mankind in a single night." Eileen shrugged casually, wandering across the room.

"I would never do such a thing, did Lucius say that?" Snape stepped forward.

"I doubt even Lucius trusts your word so why should I?"

"Because I'm not a spineless traitor like Malfoy!"

"So you do still have plans to follow the Dark Lord's will?"

"I never said that, you're putting words in my mouth. Listen to me - "

"No." Eileen whirled around and locked gazes with him, not even speaking the words that gave her access to his mind.

Unable to block her in time, the intensity of her attack forced him back against the table, flashes of his meeting with Lucius blurring her vision of him falling to the floor unconscious.

Before she could stop herself, more memories flickered by as they became crystal clear. Sinking into one of the memories, she fell into a dark room that was lit only by floating candles all along the walls. Within the room were a few hooded people who seemed to be plotting something. Curious, she moved closer to them until the dim light gruesomely outlined their faces, what she could see around the skull-like masks they wore. One was a rather tall man that spoke in a raspy, quiet tone, no distinguishing features about him other than an aura of darkness. The other looked much younger with short black hair dangling in his face, looking quite unkempt and greasy. She assumed it was Snape, seeing as this was his memory.

"Tonight I will strike, I need you to make sure no one interferes with my plans." The mysterious man said passionately.

"Yes, my Lord. But which child will you chose?" The young Snape asked, his voice smoother than it would be later in life.

The man seemed to be suspicious of Snape for a moment before saying, "They will be expecting me to attack young Potter, so I will instead pursue the Longbottom child. His parents aren't longed for this world anyway, I will be doing him a favor."

"Then I will assure your victory by distracting their guards." Snape bowed before vanishing from the man's presence.

The vision faded away and Eileen found herself standing in a dark and murky London street, houses on either side of her void of light. Something about the atmosphere seemed deathly cold to her as she slowly wandered down the street, glancing around for signs of life that weren't there. Suddenly, in the darkness she caught sight of a figure quickly darting toward a house to her right and slipping into the shadow of the porch. She hurried to catch up to it and caught sight of Snape unlocking the door and sneaking into the house, quickly shutting the door behind him. Inside, she saw him pull back his hood and remove his mask, beginning to speak to a young couple, the woman was holding a baby.

"The Dark Lord plans to come for Neville tonight, you must flee while you still can!" Snape said in a hushed voice.

"Are you sure of this? What about the Potters? Will they be safe?" The woman asked in a panicked tone.

"He has no intention of attacking them, besides he can't find them without - " Snape stopped mid-sentence, thinking about what he was about to say, "Knowing their secret."

"Who was their secret keeper? Shouldn't we make sure they haven't captured him?" The man asked with concern.

"Who?" Snape thought for a moment and then began to remember who was in the room with him and Voldemort, flashes of each person going through Eileen's mind as well. Lucius was there, another man with short brown hair and a wicked grin, and a rather short man who seemed somewhat vermin-like in appearance. Suddenly, it dawned on him who the shortest man was and a look of horror crossed his face before he muttered, "Peter. Why was he..."

"Peter? Who's Peter?" The woman asked, trying to hush her child as he began to cry.

"Stay here and don't let anyone in, at the first sign of danger I want you to get out of here and contact Dumbledore, do you understand?" Snape said sternly.

"Yes but...Snape, what's going on? Are the Potters safe?" The man asked, getting worried.

Without answering, Snape disapparated to a new location, pulling Eileen along through the memory. They arrived again in another London housing development but the mood was much darker here. One house stood in shambles, the windows and front door blown away by some mysterious force.

"No..." Snape gasped as he ran for the house, causing Eileen to pursue him in awe of the disaster, eager to see who was inside. Falling to his knees beside a body lying just inside the front door, he checked him for a pulse before hanging his head. The man was dead. Just as suddenly as he'd stopped, he was up and running for a room further inside the house. Standing in the doorway, he paused before slowly walking in to crouch beside a woman who lay in shock on the floor; she too was dead.

"Lily..." Snape whispered, a look of utter shock on his face as he swept his hand over her eyes and closed them. A fury was building inside Snape as his jaw clenched tightly, his voice weak as he muttered, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...damn you, Voldemort, you liar. You played me. You said...you said you were...I should have known. I should have known! DAMN YOU, PETTIGREW!"

Eileen could only watch in horror as she realized what day this was: it was the day Harry's parents died.

A weak cry from within the burnt baby crib distracted Snape from his wrathful fury, urging him to investigate. Leaning over the edge of the crib, he reached in and picked up the baby lying within it. Across its forehead was a jagged wound that looked quite painful, as the child's wailing was evidence. He quickly held the child in his arms and tried to calm it, walking back to the woman's side and crouching again. Looking down at her, he whispered, "You saved him, didn't you? Lily, you fool...why..."

Rocking the baby slowly, he muttered, "No, this is all my fault...I was the fool, not you. I promise...I promise I won't let him harm this child ever again. Lily...Lily..."

The sound of a motorcycle outside alerted Snape that he was no longer alone. Gently, he placed the child in the arms of his dead mother before rising and hiding in a nearby closet, shutting the door enough to make sure that the one coming in was not another Deatheater coming to finish the job.

Instead, a rough voice was heard entering the house and Eileen barely caught a glimpse of the man running in and falling to his knees beside the woman's body, crying violently. Though he was much younger, she knew that the man was the one whom took the blame for their deaths in the future, it was Sirius. Before she could seriously consider his presence there, the memory faded out and she was expelled from Snape's mind. She fell to the floor beside the older man she had just seen moments ago, her heart racing as she thought about what she'd just seen. Snape felt responsible for what happened to Harry's parents, but did he really mean for it to happen? It was obvious to her now that his allegiance lay not with the man that betrayed him but with the people he himself unintentionally betrayed.

"Severus...you tried to stop him...but you were too late." Eileen wept, feeling the hatred he must feel for himself inside, gingerly stroking the hair from his face before resting her head on his chest, crying the tears that his hardened heart wouldn't allow him to shed.

"He told Voldemort of the prophecy of his fall, but it was Voldemort that chose to attack young Harry. Ever since that day he has tried to make amends by protecting the children of this school. I was the only person to know his secret, now you know as well." A voice came from the doorway as the head master entered the room.

"Professor Dumbledore, I - " Eileen tried to explain as she wiped away her tears.

Putting up his hand, Dumbledore said quietly, "It was an honest mistake but I would suggest not speaking of your findings to anyone, not even to him. If his allegiances were to get out, his life and many others could be in grave danger. It is his espionage that keeps him safe, you know."

"I almost feel sorry for him." She muttered.

"Do not pity him, he has chosen his path and serves it well. A simple understanding of respect and trust is all that he requires from anyone, no matter what the situation. Though you could do him a favor and learn these lessons he's trying to teach you." Dumbledore said.

"Yes...I think you're right, sir. But what do I tell him when he wakes up?"

"Allow me to handle it." Dumbledore knelt as Snape slowly came around, letting out a groan of pain as he held his head and sat up.

"What happened...Dumbledore?" Snape glanced from his student to his superior in confusion.

"My goodness, we were worried about you, you sure took a beating! Luckily I heard the ruckus and came to investigate. Are you feeling alright, Severus?" Dumbledore exclaimed as Eileen fell silent.

"Yes, I...I think so. What were you doing down here? Isn't it rather late?" Snape moaned as he stood.

"Professor Flitwick informed me that Miss Pierce had not returned to her dorm yet, so I took it upon myself to look for her." Dumbledore explained, "I think it's best that we all take a break for the night and get some rest, you two look like you've seen better days."

"Indeed. I'll see you tomorrow for class, Miss Pierce, good night." Snape grumbled as he wandered out of the room and headed for his office.

"Goodnight, sir." Eileen muttered as she watched him disappear into the dark hallway.

"And that, my dear, is how you use Occlumency to get out of a sticky situation, remember that for your next lesson." Dumbledore whispered with a wink and a smile, escorting her out of the dungeons and up to the Ravenclaw dormitories.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-two

"You know what day it is?" Eileen busted into Snape's office and nearly caused him to send his quill scrawling across the parchment he was signing.

Staring at her indignantly, he said, "Miss Pierce! Have you no concept of knocking anymore?"

"Sorry, I was just excited about what today is!" Eileen grinned as she hurried in and shut the door.

"What day is it." Snape didn't seem very amused.

"Your birthday, of course! Did you forget?" She blinked in surprise.

Returning to his parchment, he grumbled, "Obviously not."

"Then why are you sitting around on a weekend doing homework when you could be spending the day with me?" Eileen hopped over to his desk and leaned over it until she was practically in his face.

Looking disturbed, he said, "It's the only time I have to work on it."

"Well, you can work on it later, I want to take you out!"

"I hardly think it's appropriate to ask your legal guardian out on a date." Snape cocked an eyebrow at her.

"No, just for fun, come on! You know what fun is, right?" She smirked as her big eyes finally got to him.

With a sigh, he put the quill down and said, "What did you have in mind?"

"You'll see, come on!" She pulled on his hand, as if she expected him to crawl over the desk and follow her.

"Alright, give me a minute." He said, pulling away and putting the schoolwork away before rising and arranging his robes.

"Oh, uh...could you leave that here?" Eileen motioned to his robes.

"Why?" Snape frowned.

"Please?" Eileen gave him a sad expression and he sighed, taking his robes off and draping them on his chair, now wearing only his pants and jacket. Walking around the table, he looked at her expectantly and she took it as a sign to lead the way.

Quickly, she went to the door and lead him out into the hall and on out beyond the front gates, stopping just feet from the Hogwarts property and holding her hand out.

Taking a quick look around, he took it as he said, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." She smiled. Swiftly, she disapparated with him and apparated in a shaded pathway with trees on either side providing a leafy roof over them.

Looking around, Snape asked, "Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Birmingham Botanical Garden! I figured you have all those tests coming up to stress over so you could use a little break away from life. Shall we explore?" Eileen smiled, squeezing his hand and leading him off down the stone path.

Walking out into the open, they were greeted by the afternoon sun and many floral sights. To their right was a short wall of shrubbery separating them from a vast lawn with birch and various other ornamental trees outlining the field. To the left stood a row of glasshouses that contained a variety of plant life in their own unique environments, an arid house immediately beside them as they walked down the path.

"Why did you bring me here? Won't someone see us?" Snape asked as he stared in wonder at the beautiful gardens waiting to be explored.

"That's the beauty of being in public, there's nobody here that will know who we are." Eileen stated, leading him toward the first glasshouse full of cacti.

Still unsure, Snape said, "But what if there is someone here..."

"How many of our kind would be hanging around in a Muggle place like this?" Eileen asked, "Or at least people you would know."

"I suppose you have a valid point." Snape muttered, "But only a few minutes and then we head back to Hogwarts."

Two hours later, Snape and Eileen were strolling through a rock garden opposite the glass houses, far across the field from their original starting place. They approached a pond that was surrounded by vines and bushes, watching the Koi swim around aimlessly within it in their never-ending search for food. A gentle breeze swept past them as they stood in silent contemplation of their lives and current situations.

Quietly, Snape said without looking away from the pond, "Are you going to make a habit of this?"

"Of what?" Eileen looked up at him curiously.

"Celebrating my birthday." Snape muttered.

"I don't see why not..." Eileen toed the ground coyly as she laced her fingers together behind her back and rocked slightly.

"Is there another reason why you brought me all the way out here instead of just doing something illegal again?" Snape cocked his eyebrow in simple amusement.

Blushing, Eileen said, "I guess I brought you here because we can talk in private without worrying about who's listening."

"Talk about what?" Snape glanced down at her.

"About...Christmas break." Eileen whispered.

"Ah." Snape said simply, returning to his pond gazing.

"It's just...I didn't know if I could trust you before!" Eileen said desperately.

"What changed your mind?" Snape's voice seemed to hint that he knew what she'd seen inside him but she didn't play along.

"I came to my senses, I'd been so on edge all break and paranoid about everything that I forgot who you were..." Eileen whispered, "My adoptive father. I can trust you with my life...right, Severus?"

Pausing a moment to look at her curiously, he replied, "Of course, but why would your life be in danger?"

"Because...the Malfoys want to use me to..." Eileen grimaced as she grasped his sleeve tightly with both hands.

Frowning, Snape turned to her and took her by the shoulders, saying sternly, "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing, they didn't do anything to me...yet." Eileen muttered.

"Then what happened?"

"While I was with the Malfoys, they tried to learn about me and my past...and my weaknesses." She whispered.

"Does this have anything to do with what you accused me of last week?"

Without speaking, she nodded slowly, her eyes glazed over with the memories of her time with the Malfoys.

Anger building inside him, Snape said, "I won't allow it, they aren't going to use you to fight their petty battles for them! Stay away from them, away from Draco and anyone else that was at that dinner party, do you hear me?"

"How did you know about the dinner party?" Eileen stared at him blankly as she leaned back in his grasp.

Hesitating for a moment, Snape slowly let go of her and stepped away, saying, "I was invited."

"Why didn't you go?" Eileen blinked in surprise.

"Do you honestly have to ask? The type of people in attendance..." Snape looked away.

Gasping, Eileen said, "So that's why Lucius was in your office, he wanted to know why you weren't going!"

"I had to make up quite a lie for that one so I'd appreciate it if you didn't think too much on it." Snape muttered.

"I see...then the Knights of Walpurgis are really..." Eileen whispered breathlessly.

"Yes." Snape answered before she'd even said anything further.

"Are you still a...Knight?" Eileen asked.

Snape didn't respond right away, staring down at his left arm and whispering, "Once a Knight, always a Knight."

Frowning, she said, "But...you wouldn't join them if they started the war again, would you?"

"It's complicated, Eileen." Snape frowned, grasping his forearm firmly.

"Oh..." She said simply, "Then I won't ask; I trust you."

Looking down at her, he said deeply, "I promise you, Eileen, I will never let them use you for anything. So long as I live, I will protect you."

"You don't have to promise that, Severus, your life is hard enough with everything else. I can take care of myself!" Eileen looked at her shoes.

"I made you a promise and I am a man of my word, what's said is said." Snape responded, staring off into the distance as if to make sure they were still alone.

Quietly, Eileen took the arm he'd been holding and whispered, "We all bear marks of our pasts, whether they be visible or not. They are reminders of our mistakes and trials, so that we never forget or repeat them. If we got rid of any signs of life's struggles, what would there be to keep us on track?"

"You have a valid point." Snape stated quietly, staring down at her.

"Then don't be ashamed of it, it is a sign of something you have left behind, so that you aren't tempted to return to it someday. Right, Severus?" Eileen looked up with hopeful eyes, her left eye penetrating his heart like a bullet.

"Right..." He muttered hazily, staring for a moment before breaking away and saying, "We've been away from school too long, we should return."

"Yes, sir." Eileen sighed, taking his hand and preparing to disapparate.

"Thank you." Snape said randomly.

"Sir?" Eileen blinked up at him in mid-turn.

He looked away at the park as his hair hid his expression, causing a smile to crease her lips.

"You're quite welcome." Eileen said sweetly, finishing her turn and returning them to Hogwarts.

OoOoOoOo

For the rest of the month, Snape and Eileen went over basic Legilimency and Occlumency, with the occasional assistance from Dumbledore behind Snape's back. For fun, to take breaks when their minds were too dizzy to focus anymore, they would duel to test each other's skills and abilities. Eileen proved to be quite a challenge to her teacher, despite his years of experience and knowledge, and he opted not to hold back on his attacks. Quite often they went overtime and Eileen was forced to sneak into her dorm and hope that no one caught her out so late, though her roommates knew of her late arrivals. They had established a "don't ask, don't tell..." policy, to her delight, and didn't seem too concerned with her escapades - seeing as quite a few of them had their own late night trysts. Penelope was against it but she was quite out-numbered by her fellow bunkmates, plus it helped that Cheryl had some juicy gossip to blackmail her with should she decide to rat them out. The 5th year Ravenclaw girls definitely were a naughty bunch, and it quite suited Eileen's fancy just fine.

The first weekend in February was a serious day for both Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, a Quidditch match scheduled for later that day. Ravenclaw had lost to Slytherin the month before and tension was high as the struggle to stay in the tournament was felt by all.

"Those Gryffindors are going down!" Cheryl exclaimed, propping one foot on Winnifred's bed as she shook her fist at no one in particular.

"Oh, must you be so vicious? It's just a game." Winnifred sighed, her nose in a book.

"Bookworm! Where's your team spirit? I bet you're not even going to go and cheer our team on, are you!" Cheryl badgered her, shaking the bed with her foot.

"Do I ever?" Winnifred glared over her shoulder at Cheryl.

"Your idea of a spectators sport is watching Miss Pince swat the dust bunnies off her bookshelves!" Cheryl balked before doing a half-hearted cheer, "Irma! Irma! Kills the germ-as! Pince! Pince! It's a cinch! Checkin' out a book? She don't care! She only likes kids that are square!"

"Shut up!" Winnifred slammed her book shut and threw it at Cheryl, catching her in the forehead mid-square motion.

Falling back with a wail, Cheryl began to bicker with Winnifred before Penelope stormed into the room shouting, "Honestly, I can hear you down in the common room! Must you fight all the time?"

"It's a term of endearment!" Cheryl grinned mockingly before hopping across the room to the doorway as Eileen came up behind Penelope, "Who are you betting on for the game today? Don't tell me you're rooting for those Gryffindors again!"

"I'm not rooting for anyone." Eileen muttered, reluctant to admit her loyalty to the Gryffindor team.

"Don't give me that bull, you fancy the cinna-mint twins! That hair, those freckles, who wouldn't drool all over their Beater bods!" Cheryl feigned a swoon and Eileen rolled her eyes, pushing her aside and stepping into the room.

"You Americans are so crass, you must be proud to be a symbol of your country's civility and poise." Winnifred mocked, glaring at the girl.

"American? You never said you were from America." Eileen blinked in surprise.

"Yep! Born and raised in New York! You couldn't tell from my lack of accent?" Cheryl smirked as she strolled across the room.

"More like your complete lack of manners." Penelope sneered.

"So why did you choose to attend Hogwarts? Doesn't America have wizarding schools?" Eileen asked curiously.

"Yeah but Hogwarts is the best, I received an invite from Dumbledore himself!"

"We all did, you dunderhead." Winnifred rolled her eyes.

"I think it's exciting to have an exchange student, what's it like in America?" Eileen asked.

"Dirty." Winnifred muttered.

"Uncivilized." Penelope scoffed.

"Fantastic!" Cheryl cheered as if they hadn't said anything, "You should visit it sometime, maybe you can work out an exchange program or something and check out one of their schools for a year! I hear Augury Wizarding School is a good one, maybe you should look into it."

"Augury is for crackpot diviners who think they have some supernatural ability but don't really." Penelope stated boredly.

"Is not! It's a fine school, you're just making fun of it cause it's American!" Cheryl hissed.

"Then why didn't you go?" Penelope raised her eyebrows.

"Well...I did but..." Cheryl scratched her head as she muttered something incoherent.

"What? I don't think we quite caught that." Winnifred purred.

"I set a wing of the building on fire, okay? It was an accident!" Cheryl shouted.

"No wonder they transferred her here, they probably wanted her as far away from them as possible." Penelope cackled.

"Shut up! The headmaster seemed to understand!" Cheryl frowned, looking offended.

Feeling sorry for Cheryl being ganged up on by the other girls, Eileen said, "Obviously it was the other school's fault for not being competent enough to keep a mere student from bringing the building to ruin."

"No kidding, some school that must be, delinquents running amok setting things on fire! I wouldn't go there if they made me!" Winnifred looked frightened by the concept.

"Indeed, the teachers here know how to handle accidents...unless they get knocked unconscious by a flying chair." Eileen muttered the last bit.

"Poor Professor Flitwick, I heard that happened to him last year! I wonder if anyone saw that?" Winnifred gasped.

"Who knows, none of the students seem keen on speaking about it. I guess all we can do is speculate." Eileen mused as she walked out of the room and headed downstairs. Before she got to the bottom, Cheryl ran down behind her and said, "Hey, Eileen! Did you mean to change the subject back there?"

"Perhaps." Eileen muttered, continuing her descent.

"Well...thanks. No ones really defended me before, except the headmaster, of course. I really appreciate it." Cheryl said sincerely.

"If you're really appreciative, how about letting me root for a couple minty fresh redheads during the match today without ridiculing me?" Eileen said over her shoulder.

"Sure but I don't see what you see in them, they're so cocky." Cheryl scoffed.

"And you're not?" Eileen cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I didn't say that." Cheryl laughed, putting an arm around her shoulder, "Come on or we'll miss those twits practicing! I know you like to watch their robes flap in the breeze."

"Cheryl!" Eileen exclaimed as the girl laughed and ran for her life out of the dorm room with Eileen hot on her heels.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-three

The Quidditch match ran long and tempers were flared after Draco and his band of troublemakers attempted to ruin the game by pretending to be dementors. The teachers were busy dealing with them as the students ushered back into the school to head off to dinner.

"Did you see the look on Draco's face when he saw that Patronus charm? You'd swear a dementor tried to kiss him!" Fred howled, slapping his knee as he walked into the Great Hall with Eileen.

"Hilarious! Harry sure showed those Slytherins that it doesn't pay to cheat!" George clapped Harry on the back with a big grin.

"I suppose so." Harry said, scratching his head, "I was just doing what I was trained to do."

"You did it very well." Eileen smiled, "A stag? Quite an impressive Patronus, mine is a kneazle."

"Really? You can do the Patronus charm too?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yeah, she used it back on the train when she was fighting dementors with Lupin, you should have seen her!" Fred hooked an arm around Eileen's neck affectionately as she looked embarrassed.

"Maybe you can give me some pointers sometime, I'm still learning. Professor Lupin's been giving me classes in secret." Harry whispered to Eileen as Fred and George claimed a spot at the Gryffindor table.

"I'm getting secret classes too, but I'm learning Occlumency and Legilimency." Eileen whispered back.

"Oi, Dove! Stop kissing up to Harry, we'll get you an autograph later!" Fred shouted.

"Stifle yourselves." Eileen glared at them as she sat between the twins as usual.

As they began to yammer about the game, Cheryl cautiously came up to the table and seemed uncomfortable to be there.

"Hey, Eileen." Cheryl tried to act cool and toss her a smile.

"Hello, Cheryl. Would you like to join us?" Eileen smiled, in the middle of poking Fred for a snarky comment he had made.

"I, uh..." Cheryl glanced over at the Ravenclaw table.

"Come on, 5th year! Unless you're afraid of sitting with the worlds greatest Beaters!" George said boisterously.

"Well, I don't know about the worlds greatest, but you two will do." Cheryl smirked.

"Oi, what's that suppose to mean?" Fred shook his fist in her direction; "I could bat with the best of them!"

"I bet." Cheryl rolled her eyes.

"Come sit next to me, Fred was just about to tell a funny story!" Eileen shoved George over to make space for her.

"Nah, that's alright, I just came over to say...good game, fellas! See ya back in the dorm, Eileen!" Cheryl waved, heading over to the Ravenclaw table.

"That was odd, what was she on about?" Fred frowned.

With a sigh, Eileen said, "Don't worry about it. So, you were telling me about the time you scored a goal from the other side of the Quidditch field?"

"Oh yeah!" Fred perked up and began to tell his story with great enthusiasm.

Later after dinner, Eileen hung around with the twins for a little while longer before heading over to her own dorm, glad that she was now closer to them so she'd have more time with them that before she'd be spending walking back to her old dorm room. Walking up into her room, she found Cheryl sitting on her bed all by herself, the room still empty as the other girls were still downstairs hanging out.

"Cheryl?" Eileen said softly.

Jumping, Cheryl whipped her head around to look at her before hiding her face and wiping at it with her sleeve.

"You startled me! Done hanging out with Double Trouble?" Cheryl said cheerfully, a knot in her throat making her words sound strained.

"Are you okay? Why are you crying?" Eileen walked over to her, a look of concern on her face.

"I wasn't crying, just...tired, that's all." Cheryl lied, flipping up the covers and rolling underneath before snapping them down over her head, "Goodnight!"

"Cheryl, what's wrong?" Eileen sat on her bed and yanked the sheets off her.

"Nothing, I'm just - " Cheryl reached for the covers but Eileen pulled them out of her reach.

"Tired, I know, you said that already." Eileen stared patiently.

Frowning, Cheryl rolled over onto her side facing away from Eileen and muttered, "It's not important, forget about it."

"If that's what you want..." Eileen's tone was unsure.

"Yeah." Cheryl mumbled, all hint of playfulness gone from her voice.

"Okay, well...goodnight." Eileen said, getting up and stepping over to her own bed to get ready.

OoOoOoOo

The next day, Eileen woke to a commotion coming from downstairs. Sleepily, she got dressed and went down to find everyone chattering nonstop about something.

"What's going on?" Eileen found Lucas among the crowd, pulling him aside.

"There was another attack last night, this time INSIDE the Gryffindor dormitory! They're sure it's Black, he's come to kill us all!" Lucas panicked.

"I highly doubt it," Eileen said, "Who did he attack?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't heard yet." Lucas looked around curiously.

Just then, Professor Flitwick came into the room and said loudly, "Your attention, please! No doubt you have heard of the recent incident regarding young Ronald Weasley."

"Ron?" Eileen blinked and muttered to herself as the others listened in rapt silence.

"He is just fine but I strongly urge you not to go alone anywhere today. The teachers will be watching over you for now but be cautious and wary of your surroundings, do not stray far from the school and remain indoors in the evenings unless otherwise allowed. If you will now hurry down to breakfast and then off to class..."

The room filled with chatter again as the gathering ushered toward the doors, rumors spreading about Black being behind the attack.

Eileen already knew he was behind it and was fuming inside as she fought the urge to run over to the shrieking shack to accost him. It wasn't until later that evening when she had a chance to slip out unnoticed in her kneazle form that she hurried to the shack. Heart racing to the source, Eileen hurried up the rickety stairs to the room where Sirius quite often slept when he wasn't out hunting for a meal.

Upon her arrival, an exhausted looking dog raised its head off the floor and stared up at her, welcoming at first until she transformed and greeted him with an angry glare and raised wand.

"Sirius! You were inside the school again, attacking people, why!" Eileen demanded answers and he changed forms as well in order to defend himself.

"I did not attack anyone, unless you consider a curtain to me a living being." Sirius grunted, looking defiant as he sat up on the hardwood floor, wary of the wand pointed at him.

"That was Ron's bed and he was in it! You could have hurt him!" Eileen bellowed.

"You're overreacting, I had no interest in harming the Weasley kid." Sirius sniffed, resting his elbows on his knees and loosely crossing his arms.

"Then what was your business in the Gryffindor dormitory? Tell me!"

Sirius did not reply as his sharp eyes took in her lithe but threatening figure in the dark room.

Eileen took a step forward, thrusting the wand within inches of his face and shouting, "Tell me or I'll bring the dementors here to deal with you!"

"Eileen, no!" A voice came from behind her and she whipped around to see the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway, his identity being revealed as he spoke.

"Professor Lupin, what are you - wait, you knew he was here?" Eileen suddenly felt trapped with two powerful wizards on either side of her, granted one was without a wand.

Looking somewhat ashamed but still stern, Lupin stepped into the room and said, "You don't understand what's at stake here, Eileen."

"Do you, professor?" Eileen glared at him, trying to remain in control of the situation.

"I understand enough, I also know enough that you should be in the school at this time of night." Lupin tried to change the subject but she was too keen to let him.

"Were you coming to meet with Sirius? Discuss a new plan to sneak into the school?"

"No, actually, I followed you." Lupin raised his eyebrows, "I wasn't aware of Sirius' presence until now. I had my suspicions but I had not had contact with him."

"You look good, Moony." Sirius smirked, seeming to be oblivious to the situation.

"Now's not the time for socializing, Padfoot." Lupin muttered as Eileen began to become angrier than before.

"Professor, I know he's your friend, but you can't let him stay! Can't you see he's a threat to the school?" Eileen tried to reason with him.

"I don't think he means to be a threat to anybody." Lupin tried to defend him.

"Well, that's not entirely true - " Sirius mused.

"You're not helping." Sighed Lupin.

"Then what do you plan to do, HELP him?" She shouted.

"I would like to know what his intentions are, yes, but help him"

"No, we have to tell the ministry, we have to turn him in!"

"I'm not going back to Azkaban, not now! Not when I'm so close!" Sirius snarled, feeling his freedom being threatened.

"So close to what? Tell me what you want with the students!" Eileen turned back to Sirius with her wand still at the ready.

"It's none of your business!" Sirius growled, temper flaring.

With a wave of her wand, she bellowed, "_Legimens_!"

A quick flicker of Ron's bed flashed before her mind's eye, seeing a knife in Sirius hand as he chased some small figure across the room before disappearing out of the dorm room. Another flash of a town square flashed by, the vision of disaster filling the place with rubble and screams of fear and chaos.

"Stop, Eileen! _Protego_!" Lupin stepped between them and with the force of his repelling spell knocked her away and out of Sirius mind.

Sirius, now free of her spell, blinked in utter confusion at seeing his memories so freely pulled from his thoughts without his permission. In fury, he got to his feet and shouted, "You're a Deatheater! Only they use spells like that!"

"What? No I'm not! I don't even have a mark, see!" Eileen pulled up her left sleeve to show her snow-white forearm, completely untarnished save for the occasional scar.

"If you're not a Deatheater, how did you know about their mark?" Sirius sneered.

Caught off guard, Eileen looked flustered as she said, "I...well...doesn't everyone know?"

"Not unless they know one or are one." He replied cruelly.

"I'm not, I told you!" Eileen protested.

"Liar! You're working for them, that's why you've been trying to buddy up with me! I never should have trusted you!" Sirius shouted, threatening to tackle her to the ground and wrestle the wand from her hand.

"Padfoot, stop, please!" Lupin tried to stop the fight but it was too late.

With the fury of a hurricane, Eileen screamed, "I WOULD NEVER WORK FOR THOSE MURDERS, EVER!!" Before they could stop her, she ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time in her reckless attempt to flee from Sirius words.

Footsteps echoed rapidly behind her and as she hit the bottom step, her arm was caught up in a firm grip that brought her to a sharp stop. With a violent thrash, she threw the arm off with the force of her uncontrollable powers and sent Lupin flying across the room. He crashed hard into the remains of a sofa on his way into the wall, his body slamming into the cold hard stone that seemed to shudder under his weight.

When he didn't move, Eileen gasped, the bout of fury she'd felt subsiding into guilt as she stared wide-eyed at his crumpled form in the corner.

Halfway up the stairs, Sirius stood gawking at the power she had unleashed on his friend, his feet frozen in fear of being heard by her and possibly attacked in the same way. In his weakened state he could not withstand an attack like that, he wondered if Lupin had been able to survive it and hoped against hope that he had.

"L-Lupin? Lupin!" Eileen finally found the will to move and ran to his lifeless body, her heart racing to see if he was alright. Desperately, she pulled him over onto his back and shook him, saying his name repeatedly as she did so.

He did not respond.

"What have you done?" Sirius finally felt safe to venture down the stairs, still astonished by her wild display of strength, staring over the banister as he slowly stepped down.

"Lupin, please speak to me! Please...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." Eileen began to panic, resorting to her magic to try to heal him. As she struggled to recite the charms she knew, he slowly began to stir and return to consciousness, letting out a strained moan of pain as his body retold of his adventure across the room.

Weakly, he gasped, "I...I'm alright, but...please, don't tell...about Sirius..."

"Lupin, you fool, you're risking losing your job at this school." Sirius muttered, taking a seat on the stairs as he watched them intently.

"I know...Eileen, please under...understand, I..." Lupin whispered before wincing.

Eileen considered him carefully before saying reluctantly, "I do understand, you care about your friend. Despite his position, you want to protect him from prosecution, even help him...I would probably do the same."

"Then...will you..." Lupin looked up at her pleadingly.

"Tell the headmaster? No, I think not. But I would like to know why I'm defending this man if you want me to continue to keep his presence a secret. It's not an easy task, you know, with the company I keep on a regular basis." Eileen hinted at her meaning Snape and Lupin nodded solemnly.

"I do, perhaps we shall find out together then?" Lupin grunted as he tried to sit up.

"Another night, you need to rest. I'll help you back to the school." Eileen said quietly, aiding him to his feet. As they headed toward the trap door, Eileen paused to face Sirius who had gotten to his feet cautiously.

"I...I didn't mean what I said...about you being a - " Sirius began to apologize awkwardly.

"Yes you did, I won't forgive you for your assumptions but I will spare you such a fate for your friend's sake until I have discovered your true intentions. Should you get the bright idea to make a run for it though, I will turn you in." Eileen said coldly, her eyes burning into Sirius' skull with the intensity of a basilisk's.

"Fair enough, I will try not to wander far then. Lupin," he said casually, "I will see you again?"

"No doubt." Lupin mumbled, his weight beginning to overpower Eileen as they stood still.

She started off again without another word, hurrying to return the professor to the school to rest as she pondered Sirius' memories and what they could mean.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-four

Almost two months had passed since the incident at Gryffindor Tower, while trolls have been guarding the entrance to the dormitory, nothing more had occurred and the students were becoming restless. It almost seemed like the end of the year would come without more than the daily teenage drama to cause disruption in the flow of classes. It wasn't until the morning of April 1st when the school was once again turned upside down, but not by any intruder. No, this disturbance came from within, by the most skilled of chaos inducers. It was, after all, a very special day, a day worth going insane on and partying until it caused even the most composed teacher to lose sanity. It was the Weasley twins birthday.

Though it started as a normal and dull Friday, an eruption of pumpkin juice caused an uproar in the dining hall. Every jug of juice spilled forth, showering every student seated in the orange liquid as they tried desperately to escape a sticky bath. While the insanity ensued and the teachers tried desperately to reverse the spells cast, two such Gryffindors were enjoying the scene with immense pleasure, high-fiving each other for their display.

"You guys are gonna tear this school apart, aren't you?" Eileen asked as she enjoyed the scene as well, having known it would happen and cast a spell to protect herself from getting soaked.

"Every year! We make a note to step up our game as we learn new things to countdown the years until we get out of this place!" Fred smirked, laughing as Draco squealed across the room, fleeing a hoard of ravenous rolls chomping at his robes.

"Yeah, don't wanna disappoint anyone with a lame display!" George piped in, noting the few students who knew this was coming and had come prepared with their own repelling charms and counter spells.

"The Slytherins always manage to forget, though. Dumb lot, they are." Fred pointed to the frenzy ensuing on the opposite side of the room as Crabbe and Goyle tried to bat the rolls away from Draco, getting their fingers bitten in the process.

"No kidding." Eileen sighed, glad that she no longer bore the name of Slytherin. Her house had come most prepared, most of which still sat enjoying their meals and occasionally catching the stray roll and having fun trying to butter and eat it.

"Honestly, the teachers try to stop us but I think some of them enjoy seeing what we'll come up with."

"Some of them are just spoil sports about it." Fred motioned to Snape as he aided in returning the room to some semblance of normality while arguing with Dumbledore over punishing the twins for their shenanigans. He seemed too amused to bother acknowledging their involvement in the stunt.

"Hey, I know I said that I never wanted to be a part of your pranks ever again but...as a present to you guys...I wanna help you celebrate, if you'll let me." Eileen offered as she swatted a roll away from her plate.

"Wicked!" They said together, putting their arms around her and imparting their plan to her in whispers, the uproar muffling their conversation.

OoOoOoOo

Later after the Great Hall had been scrubbed down with cleansing charms, classes began. Eileen took a seat in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, barely having her books out for the lesson when the room began to buzz with pixies. They swarmed in through an open window and began terrorizing the students, ripping up books left and right while snickering over their mischief.

"Oh dear, I see the twins have been here." Lupin sighed as he came out of his office, waving his wand around in an attempt to round them all up. As he gathered the last pixie, he turned to cast a glance in Eileen's direction where she sat innocently reading her textbook and seeming to be ignoring the whole affair. With an understanding smile, he began the class like nothing had happened.

Throughout the day, random acts of Mischief and Mayhem popped up and drove the teaching staff crazy, never being able to link it back to the culprits behind it thanks to Eileen's skillful cover up charms. As the suits of armor danced the conga down the hall in front of the great hall during lunch, Eileen and the twins were nowhere in sight.

"You got that spell ready, Mayhem?" Fred called over his shoulder as he set up some dung bombs in the prefects bathroom toilets, casting a spell for them to go off as soon as someone sat down.

"Ready and waiting, Mischief!" George called back as he hurried away from the bath, who knows what horrors he left for the next unsuspecting student to unveil.

"Right then, lets get out of here before someone ruins our fun! Coast clear, Dove?" Fred shouted as they hurried toward the door.

"As clear as this place will be as soon as those bombs go off." Eileen stated with a chuckle.

The boys laughed as they ran with her down the hallway away from the bathroom to go to lunch. Footsteps echoing up the stairs alerted them to the presence of another and they immediately halted in their run.

"Quick, this way!" Fred hissed as he darted over to a wall hanging and pulled it back.

His comrades scurried inside a hidden passageway and followed it up to the next floor where they peered into the hallway to make sure it was clear.

"We should split up, they won't suspect us if were alone." Eileen suggested.

"Good thinking, let's go!" George said as they flew out into the hallway, George going to the right and Eileen and Fred going to the left.

Eileen made to slip down a stairway, saying over her shoulder, "I'll go this way, you go down to the stairs at the end of the hallw-what are you doing?"

Fred had pulled Eileen aside to the wall, out of sight from his brother who was still running down the passage in the opposite direction. He put his hands on the wall on either side of Eileen, smiling down at her slyly as he whispered, "You know, I'm 16 today. In some cultures it's illegal to turn 16 without being kissed first."

"Kissed?" Eileen blinked cluelessly, feeling trapped in Fred's surprisingly muscular frame.

His sneaky grin slowly melted into a softer smile, his mellow stare burning into her curious eyes as he leaned closer, saying, "Have you ever been kissed before, Eileen?"

"I, uh...I don't know what you..." She said, wary of him being so close to her, her heart beginning to beat faster in her chest.

"I mean...like this." Fred's silky tone seemed to make her pulse race all the faster as he closed in on her, their lips meeting in a tender kiss that made every sense in her body go crazy at once.

What was this feeling? Why did his touch suddenly make the hairs on the back of her neck bristle, her skin to prickle with goosebumps, her heart to become erratic...was this a good feeling? Before she could sort it out in her head, she found herself pushing him away forcefully - as forcefully as her frail body against his strong one could.

He looked confused and slightly surprised by the shocked expression on her face as she stared at him, her lips parted as if she wanted to respond but her words were lost in the moment. Blinking, he began to speak but she ducked under his arm and made for the stairs, her hair dancing behind her as she disappeared down the stairway.

"Eileen, wait! I'm sorry! Damn it..." Fred called out before cursing himself for getting carried away. Finally having some sense come to him, he ran after her, hoping she wouldn't cross paths with George - or worse, Snape - on the way to lunch. As he made his way down the many flights of stairs to the ground floor, he looked around frantically for her white hair to stand out in the crowd. But she was nowhere in sight.

"Oi, there you are, what took you?" George strode over to his brother, frowning when he saw the guilty expression on his face, "What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Eileen?" Fred asked him desperately.

"No, why? Did Snape catch you?"

Fred didn't reply as he sighed in defeat, waving him off and putting on a forced smile, "Let's just go to lunch, I'm sure she'll show up."

"Yeah..." George said, still eyeing his brother curiously as they joined the crowd flowing in and out of the great hall.

OoOoOoOo

Eileen had not gone to lunch, on the contrary she found herself walking aimlessly around the first floor of the castle, looking out the windows along the wall that overlooked the forbidden forest. Confusion surrounded her thoughts as she roamed and before she knew it, she found herself standing in front of a door on the opposite wall. Curiously, she opened it and looked in to find an office, obviously one of the teachers from the looks of the desk and shelves of books and random magical items.

She stepped in, leaving the door open as she looked around for signs of whose office it might be before seeing a Gryffindor flag on the wall. It was McGonagall's office for sure, the only window in the room overlooking the Quidditch pitch. She peered out over the sill at the field that lay unused in the distance, a gentle breeze fluttering around the many House flags standing guard over the field. Her mind drifted to times when she had hung out with Fred and George, played Quidditch, stayed at their house...it all seemed like a distant memory from a childhood long gone.

Suddenly, the door creaked and she turned to see McGonagall stepping in to see who had left it ajar. She looked surprised by her visitor and said, "Miss Pierce, what are you doing in my office?"

"I...I'm not sure." Eileen said hazily, looking a bit embarrassed to be found reminiscing there.

"Are you alright? You look flushed, perhaps a trip to Madam Pomfrey is in order." McGonagall noted as she strode over to Eileen.

As she felt her forehead, Eileen muttered, "I'm not sick, professor."

"Then what is troubling you?" McGonagall waved her to one of the chairs sitting in front of her desk, easing her way over to a cupboard where a tea set was concealed and awaiting use.

Eileen absentmindedly took a seat as she seemed to be trying to figure out what exactly was bothering her. As she gazed at the floor awkwardly, she said, "Have you ever been kissed, professor?"

A clang of china against other china told her that her question had startled the teacher as McGonagall stammered, "My dear, w-why on earth would you ask such a thing?"

"I'm sorry, was it a bad question?" Eileen looked embarrassed as she blinked and looked up at McGonagall, finding her to have a rosy tint to her cheeks as she hurried to clean up the mess she had made with the tea.

"Well...it is a bit improper to ask someone such a personal question, might I ask what inspired it?" McGonagall asked, sounding flustered as she brought the tray over to her desk and served Eileen a cup.

"I'm just a little confused, I didn't mean to be rude. Thank you," Eileen said as she took the cup and saucer from the teacher before continuing, "I was just wondering...why would someone kiss someone else?"

"Normally a kiss is a show of affection or gratitude. Why, did a boy kiss you?" McGonagall asked as she sat with her own cup of tea.

Eileen merely nodded as she took a sip as a distraction.

"I see." Was all McGonagall seemed to be able to say as she thought about it.

"Why would he do that, professor? It...it felt weird..." Eileen blushed as she remembered it.

"Aside from being rather forward, I assume that he most likely fancies you, Miss Pierce."

"Fancies me?" Eileen seemed confused still and the professor sighed.

"Yes, he likes you."

"Well, I like him too but I wouldn't have...done that." Eileen frowned.

"I don't think you like him the same way he likes you. Perhaps you should talk to him about this."

"Perhaps...thank you for the tea, professor. I'm sorry for barging into your office while you were away." Eileen said, sitting the cup on the desk and giving a little bow before leaving. She wondered what McGonagall meant by Fred liking her, they were friends after all, and don't friends like each other? Was a kiss just a way of showing friendship? She didn't feel like they were friends under his gaze, he had never looked at her like that before.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice purred and she jumped, looking around to see Cheryl smiling at her from the stairs as she came up.

"Cheryl! Uh..." Eileen was blushing and Cheryl raised her eyebrows curiously.

"What is it? You look embarrassed like I caught you doing something wrong. If I did, I want in!" Cheryl grinned.

"Isn't that how you got kicked out of the last school?" Eileen cocked an eyebrow and Cheryl looked indignant.

"Yeah well..." Cheryl mumbled before saying, "What's up then?"

"Well..." Eileen looked around to see if they were alone and saw a few students roaming the hallway and decided not to speak around them. Taking Cheryl's hand, she hurried off to the Ravenclaw dorm room where they entered their bedroom and shut the door.

"We have classes soon, what's - " Cheryl was quite confused by now but Eileen got to the point.

"Fred kissed me." Eileen said once she'd cast the Muffliato charm.

"WHAT?" Cheryl exclaimed, gawking at her as if she had a huge wart on her face.

"I don't understand why he did it, professor McGonagall said he likes me but I thought that was obvious, I mean, we are friends..." Eileen paced the room as Cheryl continued to stare in shock.

"Well, yeah, but I think he wants to be more than friends." Cheryl cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

"More?" Eileen blinked, not understanding.

"Yeah, he totally has the hots for you!"

"The...what? What are hots?"

"You're kidding me, right? It means he has a crush on you, adores you, finds you irresistible, and so on."

"I see...so kissing someone means...all of that?"

"I guess you could say that, I mean, parents kiss each other. Sure, it's gross, but they do it cause they love each other." Cheryl shrugged, crossing the room and sitting down on her bed, figuring she'd be here for a while.

"My parents never kissed." Eileen muttered.

"Oh...well...some parents just...have different ways of saying I love you." Cheryl seemed uneasy.

"My parents didn't love each other." Eileen said simply.

"Well that explains why you don't know the basics, and uh...I'm sorry." Cheryl saw the sadness on Eileen's face as she remembered her past.

"No, it's...okay. But what do I do about Fred?"

"Do you like him back? And I don't mean in the friend sense."

"I...I don't know, I don't know what I feel." Eileen look confused and Cheryl just laughed, causing a more confused and slightly offended expression to cross her face.

"You're, what, 12? When I was 12, the only thing I loved was playing soccer and boys were absolutely disgusting. Give it time, you'll figure it out!" Cheryl laughed, striding across the room to give Eileen a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"So it's normal? To, uh, find him repulsive?" Eileen blushed.

"Sure, wait a couple years until you hit puberty and your hormones kick in, THEN the fun begins! Growing boobs, bleeding uncontrollably every month, mood swings...oh the times you'll have!"

Eileen looked terrified, imagining herself blowing up half the school during her menstrual cycle.

"So...what, it's like being a werewolf?" Eileen asked, still looking wary of what she was just told.

"Something like that! Except a little less hair and you crave chocolate instead of people." Cheryl chuckled.

She gasped and said suddenly, "Were gonna be late! Hurry or Snape will throw a fit!"

They ran out of the dorm and scrambled down the many flights of stairs, turning sharply at the great hall to head down to the dungeons. As they pushed past some lingering students, Fred came running up behind them shouting, "Eileen, wait!"

"Uh oh, it's lover boy." Cheryl hissed and Eileen flushed, trying to compose herself before turning and saying, "I can't talk, Fred, I'll be late for Potions class."

"Oh...well, uh..." Fred scratched his head nervously, "Can we maybe...talk later?"

"No need, there's nothing to talk about, I forgive you. See you at dinner!" She smiled before grabbing Cheryl's hand and pulling her down the stairs.

"Forgive me? What did I do wrong?" Fred frowned in confusion before resigning to class, mulling over her comment through the rest of the day.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-five

"Gryffindor rules!" Cheryl shouted as she strode down the hallway with her friends.

"I thought you wanted us to lose?" George said over his shoulder as he swaggered along beside Eileen, his brother at his side looking a bit distracted and distant.

"Hey, you're up against those Slytherin punks, they can't win! They'll never shut up about it!" Cheryl boomed, shooting a glare at some haughty looking Slytherins passing by.

"I'm excited about this, with everything that's been going on and exams coming up, it's a welcome interruption." Lucas chimed in, glad he wasn't old enough for them yet.

Cheryl scoffed and said, "Exams...a load of bull, it is. I know my magic, I don't need to prove it to no snooty ministry rep!"

"You're just saying that cause you fail at tests." Eileen muttered with a cocked eyebrow.

"Which is why you're gonna help me, right? Buddy? Pal?" Cheryl hooked her arm around her neck and nearly suffocated her.

"Not if you kill me first!" Eileen choked out, "I'll try but I'm busy with my own exams right now."

"What do you need to study? I thought you knew everything already!" Lucas looked surprised.

"I'm not studying, I'm taking exams. I have been for the past week!"

"What!" The group exclaimed in unison, nearly falling over themselves as they faltered.

"I have three years of classes I have to prove I know everything about before I can take the O.W.L. exams." Eileen sighed, "I spend a week with a different teacher taking tests off and on during the day, so far I've finished Herbology and this week I had Charms, next is DADA. I have the weekends off so I can study in between for the O.W.L.s and let my brain relax a bit. I'm getting to know the teachers, that's for sure."

"Blimey, I remember seeing you in Herbology just sitting in the corner messing with some plants but I didn't know why!" George commented, looking aghast at all the work she was doing.

"Why didn't you do this earlier in the year before switching?" Fred interjected suddenly, surprising everyone but Lucas with his interest in the conversation.

"Oh...well, I did go over the lessons with the teachers but the ministry wants me to take all these exams anyway. Something about proving that I know what I'm not learning, I guess they don't like the fact that I'm so smart."

"I'd think your time here so far is proof enough that you know your stuff! But what do those prats at the ministry know." George scoffed.

Eileen shrugged, not saying anything further.

They wandered out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the twins practice their beating with the team. The friends sat down on the field to watch, chattering about classes and exams while they waited. Fred and George took flight with the others and practiced for a few minutes, Fred struggling to hit the Bludger as it zoomed around his head. Finally it caught him as he fumbled with his bat, coming around behind him and slamming into his right shoulder. With a cry of pain, his bat went flying and he fell off his broom, tumbling to the ground.

"FRED!" George bellowed, trying to dive after him but being too far away for a rescue.

"_Levicorpus_!" Eileen was swift to act, whipping her wand out and catching Fred's body seconds before it hit the ground, gently lowering him to his feet. He crumpled to his knees as soon as she let go, grasping his shoulder desperately as the arm swung loosely from its socket.

"Fred, Fred! What happened? Blimey, we have to get him to the hospital wing!" George said as he touched down and ran to his brother's side.

The rest of the team joined him in a huddle as Oliver Wood knelt to examine the wound, finding his shoulder blade in dire shape.

"It's shattered," Wood said grimly, "George's right, we have to get him to Madam Pomfrey."

"It's...it's nothing, I can just use my arm as a bat and swing it around at Bludgers now." Fred joked, trying to grin as he grimaced from the pain.

"You idiot, you can't play now! You'll never recover in time for the game!" One of his teammates commented, sounding utterly spent from weeks of practice.

"No, I can fix it, hold on." Eileen said, kneeling next to Fred as she examined the damage. Gently, she removed the hand holding his limp arm as she passed her wand over the wound, chanting her healing charms as she did. Finishing and examining her handiwork, she said, "How's that feel?"

"Bloody brilliant." Fred muttered as he swiveled his shoulder in its socket, swinging his arm to get the ache out as the others gawked in awe.

"Forget exams, just do that and they'll be hiring you at St. Mungos!" Cheryl exclaimed, running over to grab his arm and wave it around.

He pulled free and scowled at her, protesting, "Oi, you trying to break it again?"

"What's with you, Fred? Your body is here but your head's somewhere else! Mind a Bludger doesn't try to off you while you're daydreaming!" Wood scolded harshly, obviously stressed about the possibility of losing one of his best defenses before the big game.

Fred didn't respond, he merely sat on the grass and gazed dismally at the ground with a look of guilt on his face, his bangs hanging in his sad eyes.

Eileen watched him for a moment before whispering, "You can do it, Fred, I believe in you."

"You...you do?" Fred looked up at her, his eyes begging her for encouragement.

"Of course, your team needs you to win that cup, I want you to win it."

"For you?"

"I...I suppose, if you want to." Eileen mumbled as she blushed and looked away.

He blinked for a minute before slowly smiling and saying, "Anything for you, Dove." Grinning, he got to his feet and shouted, "I think that did the trick, must have been feeling sick, good as new now! We've got a game to win, let's go show those Slytherins who's boss!"

The team cheered, completely oblivious to anything going on between the two young people; they were just glad he was still able to play and deemed Eileen the team's lucky charm.

"That's more like it, let's go!" George said cheerfully, clapping his brother on the back as they ran off to retrieve his deserted equipment.

Eileen sat back down, her friends taking their places at her side as they watched the twins horse around before taking flight and chasing down the Bludgers roaming aimlessly in the sky.

"What was with him? He usually seems so excited about these matches." Lucas commented, his head lulled back between his shoulders as he reclined on his hands, crossing his legs out in front of him.

"End of the year jitters, they're always tense on the final game. Got that and O.W.L.s to worry about, you know." Cheryl covered for Eileen.

"Oh, I didn't think about that, it must be hard playing sports and having school at the same time." Lucas mused.

Eileen threw Cheryl an appreciative smile before they began to cheer on the team again.

The next day didn't seem to come fast enough as many students anticipated the game that afternoon. Team spirit ran amuck, red and gold banners dancing boldly through the air as they combated the green and silver flags waving arrogantly through the crowds. Cheers were shouted and taunts were exchanged all morning as tension built over the approaching championship.

Eileen and her friends joined Ron and Hermione in the center of the field, first row seats to the grand showdown between the rival houses. The group chattered about the game and who they thought was better than who on each team.

Finally the players took the field and did a couple practice laps around the field, soaking in the crowds enthusiasm to pump themselves for the game. Fred and George passed by where they were seated, Fred seeming to be looking for them as they swung by.

Eileen quickly jumped to her feet and hung over the railing, waving her arm and shouting, "You can do it, guys! Beat those Slytherins! Go Gryffindor!"

Fred's serious expression changed to a broad grin and he gave her a thumbs up before flying away with his brother, joining the team on the ground to begin the game.

Eileen settled back in her seat with the others who were still cheering, Ron and Cheryl seeming to be having a cheering war with some Slytherin 3rd years in the stands next to them.

"Gryffindor sucks!" A Slytherin boy screamed.

"Your mom never complained!" Ron yelled, getting thwacked in the back of the head by Hermione who looked disturbed by his comment.

The boy just stared in stunned shock.

As the game got underway, the crowds cheered loudly, becoming more obnoxious depending on who scored a goal. The game wore on, team members being knocked out of play or getting flagged by the referee; goals were made and blocks were executed to add excitement and suspense to the event. It was finally a couple hours in when Gryffindor made their winning move and caused an uproar in the stands.

Eileen ran with the others to the field where the Gryffindor team stood high-fiving each other and meeting the fans as they swarmed around.

"You won!" Eileen shouted with a smile, running up to Fred and George.

Fred beamed and swept her up in a hug, spinning around once before setting her down and smiling down at her with the joy of someone who had everything in the world he could ever want.

She blushed and turned her attention to George, saying, "You guys did so well today! Your blocks were amazing!"

"Learn to ride a broom and maybe you could compete against us someday!" George replied loudly over the crowd.

"No way, she's our good luck charm! Let's hear it for the dove that saved the day!" Fred cheered, causing Eileen to blush more as she tried to protest.

The team cheered and the twins quickly swept her up into the air and carried her off the field, her laughter echoing after them as the crowd slowly followed. One lone figure lingered behind in the stands and watched them leave with a mix of contempt and longing, quickly fading away as he disappeared out of sight.

OoOoOoOo

The weeks passed as Eileen finished her pre-O.W.L. exams and began the real O.W.L. tests. It was halfway through the week and many students in her new year looked mortified and half-crazed from all the tests they had been taking. The twins goofed off as usual but Cheryl wasn't her usual carefree self as she spent more and more time in the library and less time with Eileen.

One such lone evening, Eileen took a stroll through the school grounds to let her head clear. It was another full moon and she had gotten into the habit of leaving the school and journeying to the shrieking shack just for safety's sake. She hadn't seen Lupin that day since the exams for his class but he seemed to be distracted by something and didn't mention meeting up at the shack. She assumed he was already there and decided to head over and join him.

The moon finally poked its bright head out from behind the clouds and Eileen gazed up at it curiously, admiring the glow it cast upon the schools ancient walls. She did not have long to enjoy the silent stroll when screams broke out in the distance.

_That came from the whomping willow, _Eileen thought before breaking into a run, her wand drawn. She could feel the air getting unnaturally colder as she pushed her short legs to move as fast as they could, desperately hoping Lupin had not transformed in the open.

A dementor flew over her head, ignoring her presence despite the fear she felt within her racing heart. Another flew past and yet another, hoards of ghastly figures appearing out of the darkness and encroaching on the place the tree stood.

More screams echoed through the air and Eileen ran faster before feeling the draining effects of the dementors weakening her stamina.

Panting, Eileen began to slow before coming to a complete stop and hunching over to catch her wind, the cold air stinging her lungs as she gasped for breath.

The sound of dogs growling and scuffling rang out and Eileen began to worry. She knew something was very wrong and her will to stop whatever it was from happening gave her the energy to run the rest of the way to the site of the fight. By the time she'd reached the willow, the scene had come to a standstill: several bodies laid motionless on the ground a few yards from the willows reach, the limp form of Snape hanging helplessly in the air nearby like an opaque ghost.

There was no sign of the dementors anymore, as if they'd been scared off by some mysterious force. Taking advantage of the calm in the battle, Eileen ran over to the feeble man she knew was Sirius, several harsh wounds on his face and body from the fight. His wounds were too large for any animal that lived on the grounds and she guessed Lupin had been unlucky enough to be outside when the moon came out.

Looking up at her guardians unconscious body floating a few feet away, she furrowed her brow in thought before gazing out at the forbidden forest knowing Lupin had escaped in that direction; his scent still hung in the air leaving a trail for her to follow.

"I have to find him before he attacks someone else." Eileen muttered to herself before standing. Quickly, she woke Snape and released him from the spell he was under.

Groggily, he looked down at her and mumbled, "Eileen? What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way here for the night cause it's a full moon. Then I found all of this." Eileen said, motioning to the bodies of the students and man lying at their feet.

"Full moon? Lupin..." Snape looked worried as he glanced around, drawing his wand.

"He's not here, I have to go find him before he hurts someone." Eileen said, starting to run off.

Snape grabbed her arm and said, "You can't, he's too dangerous! He probably forgot his potion, he's not going to be reasonable. I'll go find him."

"No, I can handle him, I'm a werewolf too, remember? As long as I can calm him down enough to get close to him, I can change him back and get him somewhere safe." Eileen knew she didn't have time to waste arguing with him and her eyes expressed this concern.

Snape was still wary of letting her go but said, "Hurry then, I'll take care of them."

Nodding, Eileen hurried off into the forest, tracking down the scent of her teacher. Her senses were heightened by her werewolf side and made it easy to follow him through his crazed journey through the forest. Deeper she went until finally she saw him up ahead digging in a hole, obviously searching for something hiding inside it. Before she could do anything he had caught her scent in the air and turned to face her, looking curious as he sniffed loudly.

A look of confusion crossed his wolfish face as he growled and crouched, not sure if she was human or animal.

_I can't help him like this, I have to let myself transform. I just hope I can stay in control long enough to get to him, _Eileen thought, swallowing as she lowered her guard and let the moons power take her over. Her body seized with pain as her bones changed within her, reshaping into the skeleton of a werewolf. Cream colored fur sprouted from her skin as she fell to the ground on all fours, gritting her sharpened teeth to keep from screaming in agony.

Lupin watched her hungrily, a mix of fear and fascination in his canine eyes as she completely transformed into a small albino werewolf right in front of him.

Feeling her control over her powers slipping, Eileen made to move quickly in her approach of the werewolf, whimpering in a mock submission to the larger wolf.

Lupin sniffed her curiously as he strode over to her, feeling confident in their size difference but not sure if she was really a werewolf or not.

She crouched and tucked her short tufted tail between her legs, lowering her ears and watching him cautiously as he circled her, taking in her cowering form.

_Come on, Lupin, I know you're in there somewhere, _Eileen thought, struggling to stay humanly conscious.

Finally, Lupin growled under his breath and tackled her, pinning her on her back and towering over her with his teeth bared in a savage grin, his tail high in the air.

She heard a low growl emanate from her own throat and didn't know why she felt the urge to submit to his will. She kept her tail tucked between her legs and locked gazes with him, hoping to reach the man trapped inside the animal before she lost control of herself.

For a moment neither of them moved, both lost in each others eyes as the soft sounds of the forest filled the air.

Cautiously, Eileen placed her paws on Lupin's shoulders and let out a low whimper as she thought, _I hope this works. Can you hear me, Lupin? Come back..._

Growling, Lupin seemed to wince and try to pull away but Eileen sunk her claws in, holding him as he howled. His body shuttered with hers as they slowly changed back to their human forms again, Lupin collapsing onto Eileen in exhaustion.

They lay still on a bed of decaying leaves, shivering from the changes they'd undergone that night. Their exhausted breaths hummed in each others ears until they came to their senses again and began to stir.

Lupin slowly pushed himself up and blinked groggily down at the weary eyes of the young student beneath him, his own eyes widening as he realized neither of them were dressed.

Blushing profusely, He fell backward away from Eileen and tried to run but her hand grabbed his arm in time to stop him.

"Professor, wait, you can't - " Eileen tried to protest to his retreat.

"Why are we naked! What happened? Don't look at me!" Lupin shouted, turned away from her in shame.

Blinking in confusion, Eileen said, "You turned under the full moon, I had to stop you before you hurt someone. I...I had to turn too."

Looking back with a concerned expression, Lupin said, "You...but why?"

"It was the only way I could get close to you. I didn't want to accidentally hurt you with my magic and you were angry so..."

"Eileen...you could have just used a stunning charm, it would have worked fine." Lupin muttered, still flush and quite embarrassed to be sitting naked next to his student.

"I didn't want to take the chance." She said softly, holding his hand tightly.

They fell silent for a moment as the awkwardness settled in and Eileen knew he would rather be roaming as a werewolf then sitting nude with her.

Sighing, she stuck her free hand out and said, "_Accio_ wand."

"Eileen, that won't - " Lupin started but her wand flew past his face to her outstretched hand like an obedient pet.

"I can do a lot of things normal witches and wizards can't do, remember?" Eileen reminded him, "_Accio_ robes."

More silence fell as they waited for clothing to arrive, Lupin still scrunched up to conceal his manhood from sight as Eileen sat calmly next to him, completely oblivious to her nudity.

Two robes floated over to them through the darkness and landed in Eileen's lap, both large enough for them to conceal themselves with. Quickly, they pulled them on and began to walk toward the school, the dead leaves crunching under their bare feet.

Softly, Lupin said, "This is going to be between us, right? I doubt anyone else will see the nobility of your actions considering the consequences."

"I agree. Professor?" Eileen looked up at him with her large blue eyes, a sense of calm in them that made Lupin uneasy.

"Yes?" He said awkwardly as he stepped over a branch in their path.

"I'm glad you're safe." Eileen smiled.

Slowly, he smiled softly and whispered, "Likewise."


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-six

The previous night's insanity was not known to many but those involved were quite exhausted. Eileen still felt the effects of her werewolf experience lingering throughout the day as she craved meat and growled at passing Slytherins. Fred didn't find anything odd about this and joined in several times for the fun of it, often making more ruckus than she was making.

Halfway through the day, Fred decided to go to Hogsmeade with the rest of the students, saying it was necessary for the survival of his future plans.

"I need to do a little shopping, care to join me?" Fred grinned, locking elbows with Eileen.

"I don't feel well, go on without me." Eileen said drearily.

"Alright, but you're gonna miss out on helping with my grand scheme!" Fred said before running off down the hallway.

"Don't blow anything up!" Eileen shouted after him before resigning herself to the outside courtyard for a little fresh air and peace. She sat on the very same bench she'd been seated on during her meeting with Lupin at the beginning of the term, the memories of her coldness toward him flooding back with the fonder moments later on. She'd grown very fond of the man over the months, spent so much time with him, and now she had this sinking feeling that she might not see him again for a long time. The sorrow of losing him overwhelmed her and she jumped up, stalking off across the courtyard hoping to distract herself from this feeling of grief. Surely he would be returning next year to teach, wouldn't he? Sure, Professor Lockhart didn't return but that was due to his unfortunate amnesia. She'd also heard that the teacher before that had met his demise before school ended, this was not a comforting fact. The fact that students claimed the dark arts position was cursed didn't give her much confidence in Lupin's return to Hogwarts either. Sighing, she decided to do a bit of studying in the library before dinner.

The hours passed and dinner finally came. It was a somber meal and many students were quieter than usual; Eileen found this a bit odd and glanced around the room curiously. Her eyesight fell over the teachers table and she found both Lupin and Snape absent from dinner, the other teachers looking oddly morose.

"Fred, did something happen?" Eileen asked her redheaded friend who was eating and scribbling on a piece of paper in his lap.

"Hmm?" He mumbled absent-mindedly, obviously distracted by his own thoughts.

"Everyone's so quiet and Lupin's missing, what's going on?" Eileen's voice was nervous, bringing Fred out of his trance.

He blinked a few times before saying quietly, "You didn't hear?"

"Hear what? Is Lupin okay?" Eileen looked worried now and Fred frowned sympathetically.

"You'd better catch him before he leaves and find out for yourself." Fred replied gravely.

"He's leaving? But..." Eileen didn't finish her sentence as she leapt up from her seat and ran out of the dining hall. As she tore out into the hallway, she saw the professor quietly sneaking past on his way to the entrance hall, bags in hand. Eileen ran up to Lupin and said in a strained voice, "Mr. Lupin, where are you going?"

He stopped and tried to give her a friendly smile as he said, "I'm not teaching here anymore, I've got to go home."

"Not teaching anymore? Why? Was it because of last night?" Eileen blinked in surprise.

"In a way, I suppose. Apparently it got out about what I am, the parents saw to it that I was...dismissed." Lupin's smile seemed ironic now.

"That's not fair, you're a great teacher! What does it matter if you're a..."

"Werewolf? You can say it now, no sense in hiding what everyone knows."

"You can't help who you are, professor! Why can't they see you for who you really are?" Eileen fumed.

No longer smiling, Lupin muttered, "Not everyone is as open-minded about it as you are, Eileen. People fear the unknown and that which the world has deemed dangerous, not all werewolves are as civilized as I am."

"But what about me? What am I suppose to do without you?" Eileen whispered, her eyes burning deep into his.

"You'll be fine, you have friends and loved ones to help you, no one knows about your...furry little problem." Lupin tried to reassure her with another smile but it didn't work.

"No one knew about yours either but they found out! I can't do this without you, I need you!"

"Eileen...you don't need me, you'll be fine." Lupin frowned.

"You're wrong...don't...go..." Eileen hung her head in defeat, letting the tears fall to the hard marble floor.

For a moment, Lupin just stared at her in silence, a feeling of remorse falling over him. Glancing around, he made sure there was no one around before setting his bags down and kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his as he whispered, "Eileen, listen to me. Don't give up hope, you're not like me at all. You have the potential for greatness, don't let my failures get you down. You can do anything, be anything, the only thing holding you back is you. Believe in yourself...I believe in you."

"I believe in you too..." Eileen muttered before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

Hesitating, Lupin slowly relaxed and hugged her back, saying, "Thank you...that means a lot to me."

"Can I visit you?" Eileen sniffled in his ear.

"Visit me? I...I don't know..." Lupin sounded uneasy.

Pulling back, Eileen said quickly, "Just as a friend! I might need checking up on during the summer, you know...to make sure I'm not doing anything dreadful to my neighbors..."

"I guess if it's a friendly visit...where do you live?" Lupin began to rummage in his briefcase to write it down when Eileen put her hand on his to stop him.

"I...can't tell you." She whispered, "It's a secret."

"What do you mean?" Lupin looked confused for a minute before saying, "You have a charm on it?"

"You have to ask...the person that knows."

"Who is?" He said before figuring it out and muttering, "Ah, well, I doubt he'd tell me."

"It's my choice! Besides, wouldn't it be safer if someone else knew should something happen?"

"If you can convince him to tell me, I would be honored to visit you."

"I'll work on it." She smiled.

"Well, when you get a chance to, write to me so I can find you. Here..." He scribbled on a piece of paper quickly before slipping it into her hand, "If I'm not there just send it to Dumbledore, he can find me."

"Okay." Eileen said quietly staring at the paper in her hand as she held it carefully, afraid to smudge the address.

Resting his hand on her shoulder, he sighed, "You'll be fine."

"What about you?" She asked, looking up sadly.

"Don't worry about me, I'll manage...I always do." He smiled before pulling out a dingy pocket watch and looking at it, "Oh dear, I'm running late. Hopefully I will hear from you soon, take care of yourself."

"You too." Eileen stepped back as he gathered his things and gave her a pat on the head before turning to go. She stood in the hallway and watched him disappear down the stairs, wishing the world were fairer.

"Alright, Dove?" Fred came out of the great hall from dinner and stood next to her, a look of concern on his face as he saw the tear stains on her cheeks, gingerly wiping them away.

"Lupin's gone." She replied simply.

"I heard. A shame really, he was a good teacher."

"He still is..." She muttered.

Fred put his arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze, saying softly, "Don't worry, Dove, I'm sure it's not the last we'll see of him."

Without responding, she turned into Fred's form and buried her face in his shirt.

Fred held her without question as she began to cry again, unable to save face any longer. Trying his best to comfort her, he glanced around to see if anyone was watching. He spotted Snape watching from the shadow of the dungeon staircase, an unreadable expression on his face.

They met gazes for a moment before Snape swept off down the hall and down the stairs out of the school, not saying or doing anything about the situation.

_Are you ever going to tell her it was your fault Lupin got sacked? _Fred thought with a frown, holding Eileen tighter.

George wandered out of dinner and saw the teens standing in the hallway, quickly jogging over and saying, "Oi, what happened?"

"Tell you later, let's move somewhere less public." Fred whispered as they both guided her down the hall toward their dorms.

Outside the school, Lupin had just reached the gate and was undoing the lock when he heard behind him, "Running away so soon?"

With a cringe, Lupin stiffly turned and watched the dark figure approach him with slight disgust, saying, "I have a train to catch."

"I hardly count the Knight Bus as a train, Mr. Lupin, you should work on your ability to lie."

"Perhaps you'll give me some lessons sometime." Lupin muttered, watching the man's face contort into a sneer.

"I have enough lessons to give, thank you. But I won't hold you up any longer, I just thought you'd like this before you go." He handed Lupin a scrap piece of paper before turning and stalking back toward the school.

Thinking it was the same paper he'd given Eileen, he sighed and stared down at it in rejection before realizing the text was not the same. Reading it more carefully, he found it to be an address somewhere in London with the name "Pierce residence" written at the top.

"Do try to memorize it and dispose of the evidence, Mr. Lupin. I'd hate for that paper to fall into the wrong hands." Echoed the man as he disappeared back inside the building.

With a smile, Lupin looked down once more at the paper before setting it on fire, whispering, "You might be a right cruel man, Severus, but you never cease to amaze me with your reluctant kindness."

Quietly, Lupin slipped through the gates and walked down the road that many of the students would be taking later for their summer departure, becoming like a memory lost over time as he faded away from the minds of all but those who could never forget the times they had that year at Hogwarts.

The End.

Writers notes: Whew, what a story! So much drama, so much suspense, so much teenage angst! Haha, but all kidding aside, I hope yall enjoyed the story and come back for more in the later installments of my Hogwarts saga! Before the next great adventure, I give you a side story for my little lesser known original characters, as well as side characters that honestly dont get enough attention. You barely heard a word from them in this story but never fear, you shall learn the secrets of the cannon fodder! I meanside characters, heh. So if youre wondering what Eileen gets up to during the summer, go check out "Secret Keepers" a tale of the secret lives of Eileens friends and loved ones. Thanks again and dont forget to come back also for the 3rd story in this series: Eternal Knight! Later, yall!


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